Mavericks' Harris out Wednesday, hopes to miss just 1 game

The Dallas Mavericks will be a little thin at the point when they take on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Backup point guard Devin Harris will miss the game due to soreness in the lower part of his right leg, pain that spreads from his calf to his ankle. Harris was slowed by the soreness on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, limiting him to just 10 minutes of action. He's hoping to only miss one game and return Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

With Harris sidelined and Raymond Felton still serving a suspension, the Mavs will lean heavily on starter Jameer Nelson and score-first reserve J.J. Barea. Both have played well enough, but Harris is the team's best defensive option at the position and has been playing 23.1 minutes a night.

Through 11 games, Harris is averaging a modest 8.6 points and 4.4 assists, but he's hitting threes often enough to draw attention and is one of the second unit's best defenders. Reserve units featuring Harris and Al-Farouq Aminu have crushed opposing benches, outscoring them by 22.3 points per 100 possessions.