The Dallas Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic for the next month after the Slovenian guard suffered a calf strain in the Mavs’ 99-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Day, according to ESPN.
“Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be re-evaluated in one month after sustaining a left calf strain on Christmas Day, sources tell ESPN.”
Doncic will be re-evaluated near the Mavericks’ January 25 game against the Boston Celtics, so there’s a chance he will continue his stint on the sidelines until after the All-Star break in mid-February.
This guarantees Doncic will be out for the next 16 Mavs games at the minimum, which would rule him out of MVP or All-NBA contention due to the 65-game rule.
This is a massive blow to the Mavericks’ hopes of making a run to a top-two seed in the West, as Doncic’s absence means the 19-11 franchise could struggle to outpace other West rivals like the Memphis Grizzlies or Houston Rockets. They’ll hope to be at least .500 over the next month without Doncic with Kyrie Irving leading the franchise.
The Mavericks have been solid without Doncic in his earlier absences this season due to lower-leg and wrist injuries, going 6-2 so far this season. This iteration of the Mavericks has reduced Luka’s load this season by design, and it’s reaping benefits when the team has to play without their star for extended stretches. His usage rate (32.7) this season is the lowest of his career since his rookie season.
Doncic had put up 14 points (5-9 FG) and five rebounds in 16 minutes before sustaining the injury against the Wolves. He’s averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games this season.
Will The Mavericks Make A Trade Without Luka On The Court?
The Mavericks have been named in whispers around the league for potential interest in Jimmy Butler, an option some fans want to consider given Luka’s lengthy absence. However, that just doesn’t seem plausible because the response to Doncic being out for about 20 games shouldn’t be to worsen team depth by acquiring a 35-year-old at the expense of at least three rotational pieces.
While a star trade is almost certainly not going to happen, the Mavericks could use this time to upgrade some fringe rotational pieces, primarily their backup power forward position. If the team can figure out how to bring back Dorian Finney-Smith by using Maxi Kleber’s contract, they might have superior depth to see them through this stretch while creating a formidable 10-man unit for when Luka returns.
We shouldn’t call this a blessing in disguise because Doncic’s absence is bound to adversely impact their record and potentially overly strain Kyrie, but it will build on the Mavericks’ egalitarian style of offense this season. Given how badly the Mavs rotation outside Doncic struggled to score in the NBA Finals, this will be great for them to develop confidence as offensive contributors.
The Mavericks also have a more offensively capable roster this season with additions like Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, so the Mavs are well-built to sustain this time without Luka.
A trade is hard to imagine right now unless it’s for a forward like Finney-Smith, but GM Nico Harrison has made a February trade all three seasons he’s been in charge, so this fourth year might have another winter offering for the roster.
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