But for a change, Pack is not on ice. While the Mavericks are hurting, Pack feels great. Six players, including point guard Steve Nash, who has battled Pack for the starting job, are in the training room trying to get well for the Nov. 2 season opener.
Pack is in only for maintenance.
He laughs at the irony. A medical student might find Pack an interesting case study. In his eight NBA seasons, he has had a dislocated left shoulder, a torn right hamstring, a torn ligament in his right thumb, a fractured fourth metacarpal in his left hand, a sprained left ankle, a bone bruise, a damaged peroneal nerve in his right leg and loose cartilage in his left knee. Injuries, instead of points or assists, have defined his career. Pack has played in only 379 of a possible 624 games.