Shawn Marion Injury: Dallas Mavericks SF Suffers Broken Finger in Season Opener | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

"It hurts like hell," said Marion, who fractured his left proximal phalanx fifth finger (left pinkie) Sunday, but the Mavericks star is used to playing with finger injuries.

Marion, who has long played with a disfigured pinkie that sticks out at an angle as a result of multiple breaks from his career, said it was painful but that he's "a warrior."

He scored 12 points with six rebounds and three assists against the Heat, but did not play at all in the fourth quarter despite starting at small forward and logging 29 minutes.

Marion is a quality scorer, but he also gives the team versatility and good defense. If he doesn't miss any game time with this injury, the Mavericks will be quite lucky.

Not many players can break a finger and miss no time while still being effective on the court. Marion's toughness is admirable, but if he is going to hurt the team playing through this injury, then he should not be playing.

Dallas does not have the same depth they did last year when they won the NBA Finals over the Heat, so injuries could really hurt them if a star like Marion misses any time.

After the Heat destroyed the Mavericks on Sunday, it's clear that this Dallas team is not as good as last year's title squad, so there is no point in risking Marion when his finger is quite hurt.

The Mavericks are going to need a healthy Marion to get back to the playoffs and make a another deep run into May and June.