Mavs' Carlisle 'concerned' by Deron Williams' hip injury

After originally announcing that Deron Williams would return to Monday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Dallas Mavericks ruled their starting point guard out with a hip contusion, and now it sounds as though Williams' injury could be a significant one.

"I don't know anything about a timetable or anything like that, but I'm concerned," head coach Rick Carlisle said following Monday's 112-97 loss.

Williams appeared to suffer the injury on a fall early in the second quarter after logging just eight minutes, ending a forgettable night that saw the former All-Star go 0-for-5 from the field.

The 31-year-old entered the contest averaging 14.2 points, 5.4 assists, three rebounds, and a steal for the Mavs, who've been one of the league's biggest surprises through the first half of the season.

With Devin Harris currently dealing with a toe injury, Raymond Felton and J.J. Barea figure to soak up extra minutes at the guard positions if Williams is forced to miss time.