Mavericks F Howard out indefinitely

Dec 10, 2008 - 11:33 PM DALLAS (Ticker) -- Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard, who has missed the last eight games with a sprained left ankle, will now be sidelined indefinitely, the Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday.

MRI's showed no structural damage in Howard's ankle, but the Mavericks' second-leading scorer and top rebounder has been placed in a walking boot. Surgery reportedly is not an option.

"He's made progress, but he isn't there yet, so we're going to shut him down for a little bit," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told the newspaper. "When there's an update, we'll let you know."

Howard won't play again until the swelling and soreness are gone.

"You're talking about a dynamic athlete who needs to be up to near full capacity physically to be able to do the things that he does," Carlisle said. "You can't put him out there unless he's pain-free and swelling-free. Right now, he is not."

Dallas is 7-2 without Howard, who is averaging 20.3 points and 8.2 rebounds in nine games this season.