The first thing Nerlens Noel did when he got in the Mavericks' locker room before Tuesday's game was stick the long, slender index finger on his right hand as far down inside the cast on his left wrist.
"Man, this thing itches," he said.
Noel is back with the team after having left thumb surgery on Dec. 8. He has been back to Cleveland once to have the cast changed out. Other than that, he's been waiting to start doing whatever doctors will allow him to do.
And he has only one goal.
"I'm going to come back swinging when I do come back," Noel said.