The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly expected to be without guard Luka Doncic for at least one month due to a calf strain he suffered against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Day.
Doncic left the Christmas Day matchup in the second quarter after he suffered a noncontact injury, leading to concerns about a long-term injury that could have a major impact on the Mavericks’ season.
The Slovenian guard previously suffered a calf strain during a preseason practice in Madrid and missed the entire preseason as a result.
Although the initial injury suffered during the preseason was described as being “not serious,” the potential for a more significant injury was a concern for the team after Doncic went down on Christmas.
However, Doncic underwent an MRI on Thursday and his injury will be reevaluated in one month, which is good news for a team that will need him to compete for a championship this season.
Doncic has been one of the best players on the Mavericks this season with averages of 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game while playing an average of 35.7 minutes.
These numbers are slightly lower than previous seasons due to Doncic having a usage rate of just 32.7% this season, marking a steep decrease from 35.9% last season and the second lowest of his career, per StatMuse.
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving said following the loss on Christmas Day that injuries are the “nature of the business” and that he hopes Doncic “takes his time and comes back when he’s ready.”
“I’m praying for Luka just to have a speedy recovery,” he added, according to The Mavericks. “However long the timetable is, we’re going to have to adjust.”
Although the majority of teams begin to struggle following an injury to its best player, the Mavericks have been one of the best teams in the league in games that Doncic has been unavailable.
Dallas has managed to put together a record of 6-2 in games without Doncic this season, with the two losses coming against the Atlanta Hawks on November 25th and the Los Angeles Clippers on December 19th, according to StatMuse.
Irving discussed the Mavericks’ impressive record without Doncic this season, explaining that the team has to “be mature about it and everybody be ready to adjust to the lineups.”
“I’d rather be going to battle with a healthy team, everybody feeling well (and) everybody doing good. But again, it’s the nature of the business. You got to adjust and be ready,” he said, per The Mavericks.
Dallas has a total of 19 games remaining on their schedule until the end of January, meaning the Mavericks will need a variety of players to step into larger roles to keep the team afloat for the next month.
Potential candidates for bigger roles in Doncic’s absence include forward PJ Washington and Naji Marshall, who have each flashed moments that show a substantial step forward in production.
Dallas will begin the next month without Doncic with a road matchup against the Phoenix Suns tonight at 7 p.m. followed by another road game against the Portland Trailblazers on Saturday at 8 p.m.