Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is working to recover from a calf injury and is reportedly eyeing a return to the court before the NBA All-Star Break.
Shams Charania of ESPN provided an update on Doncic and said that his “goal is to be back before the NBA All-Star break,” according to Fan Sided.
This timeline for an early February return would coincide with the initial reports that Doncic would miss just over one month with a calf strain suffered on December 25.
Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd also provided an optimistic update on the guard. He said Doncic is “trending in the right direction” during his recovery process and is “doing everything he’s supposed to do.”
“He’s been out long enough and that this is probably the longest he’s ever been out, so I think it’s safe to say he’d like to be back,” added Kidd, per Noah Weber.
Doncic’s absence this season has been incredibly detrimental to a Mavericks team that has struggled to find a rhythm. Various injuries have played a major role in the team’s issues.
Dallas is currently just 23-21 this season and has slipped to the ninth seed in the Western Conference standings, meaning the team will likely participate in the play-in tournament if the season does not turn around.
Although Doncic’s season was not the most impressive of his career, he is still one of the best players in the league. He averages 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 46.4% from the field.
Additionally, Doncic’s usage rate during his 22 appearances was just 32.8%, which would be the second-lowest rate of his career if these numbers stay the same for the rest of the season, per Stat Muse.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Mavericks will likely have to adjust their playstyle for the remainder of the season as the team is also expected to be without center Dereck Lively II for two to three months due to a foot fracture.