Mavs' Nowitzki out for 'weeks' as opener looms

Dirk Nowitzki will be sidelined for the start of his 21st season as he continues to recover from offseason surgery on his left ankle.

"It's going to be multiple weeks, I can tell you that," said coach Rick Carlisle, per ESPN. "But there's no real soft or hard date at this point. He is doing better but has not done any significant court work. His rehab work is ongoing, and we can update you in another 10 days or something like that."

The Mavericks open the season on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.

Nowitzki's ankle has actually recovered from the surgery, but tendons in the foot are causing pain.

"Those tendons didn't even get used for five or six years because of the bone spurs," Nowitzki said during the Mavericks' exhibition trip to China during the preseason. "Now they're moving around and that's causing the soreness. The actual surgery area is fine."

Nowitzki took part in a scrimmage with teammates last month, but his foot and ankle swelled. He hasn't been on the court since Sept. 21.

Once the inflammation goes away, the 40-year-old Nowitzki isn't expected to need a lot of prep time before he can play.

The unquestioned leader of the Mavericks for years, Nowitzki is expected to come off the bench this season. Newly acquired DeAndre Jordan has been penciled in as the starting center, with rookie first-round draft pick Luka Doncic at power forward.

Nowitzki has played in 1,471 career games, starting all but 31. Last season, he appeared in 77 games for the Mavericks and averaged 12.0 points -- the lowest in his career since his rookie season in 1998-99.

A four-time first-team All-NBA selection, Nowitzki is a 13-time All-Star and won the 2006-07 Most Valuable Player award. His 31,187 career points are the most among active NBA players -- LeBron James is just behind him with 31,038 -- and sixth all-time.

The Mavericks might also be without starting small forward Harrison Barnes, who has missed the preseason with a hamstring strain. — Field Level Media/Reuters