Caleb Martin's Thumb Sprain Keeps Him Sidelined for Monday's Matchup Against Miami

The Dallas Mavericks are going to have to survive another night without Caleb Martin, who has officially been ruled out for Monday's game against the Miami Heat with a right thumb sprain.

A thumb sprain sounds like a fake injury you invent to get out of helping a friend move a sectional couch, but in the NBA, it is a guaranteed ticket to street clothes. When your entire job description involves gripping a basketball and fighting through screens, you actually need all ten digits working properly.

"Underdog NBA confirmed Caleb Martin is listed out for Monday."

Underdog NBA confirmed the downgrade, meaning Martin will miss his fourth consecutive contest to start the season. He was brought to Dallas to do exactly what he did last year, when he averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and a steal per game while playing the kind of annoying defense that makes opposing wings miserable.

Missing this specific game stings a little extra, considering it is a matchup against his former team. Instead of a revenge game, Martin gets to watch from the bench while the Mavericks try to patch together a functional wing rotation.

The situation is getting slightly desperate for Dallas. With Naji Marshall also ruled out due to an illness, the Mavericks are suddenly looking incredibly thin on the perimeter.

For the daily fantasy and prop betting crowd, this condensed rotation is where the value lives. Guys like Zaccharie Risacher, Marcus Sasser, and Morez Johnson Jr. are staring down a serious bump in minutes just by being healthy and available.

Dallas has enough overall frontcourt depth to keep the ship afloat in October, so do not expect massive game-line movement. But the peripheral prop markets for their backup wings will definitely see a spike in volume.

Martin remains strictly day-to-day moving forward. The Mavericks will just have to lean heavily on the rest of their bench until their defensive stopper can actually shoot a basketball without wincing.