According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has suffered a left calf contusion. Per Charania, this will sideline Doncic, and he will be re-evaluated in one week.
Mavericks say Luka Doncic suffered a left calf contusion and will be re-evaluated in one week.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 2, 2024
Furthermore, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto later reported that Doncic suffered a hit during workouts, causing the injury.
Luka Doncic suffered a left calf contusion after sustaining a hit during workouts this week. Doncic will be re-evaluated in one week, Mavericks say. pic.twitter.com/0r9slwCakZ
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 2, 2024
The Mavericks are set to begin preseason on October 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Doncic will likely miss this game and could sit out the remainder of the preseason. However, at this time, it is unknown whether Doncic’s injury will have any implications for the regular season.
Dallas Mavericks Star Reportedly Sidelined With Injury
What Luka Doncic’s Injury Means for the Mavericks
It is no secret that Doncic is incredibly important to the Mavericks’ success. Since joining the league in 2018, the Slovenian native has developed into one of the best players in the game. Except for his rookie year, Doncic has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting every season. Last season, he finished third, only behind Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Furthermore, Doncic led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. However, the team ultimately lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.
The Mavericks still have a great team behind Doncic, but he is their star for a reason. Dallas’ offense runs through Doncic, who was the scoring champion in the NBA last season. If he were to miss any time, it would put a damper on the Mavericks’ bid to make it back to the Finals. Luckily for the team, however, there is little reason to believe this is a major injury at this point.
The Last Word On Luka Doncic
Heading into the 2024-25 campaign, Doncic is the betting favorite to win the MVP award next season. Given how talented and dominant the 25-year-old is, an MVP award seems inevitable at some point in his career. However, after last season, it is safe to assume Doncic cares a bit more about winning a championship instead. Despite losing the series, Doncic averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 steals against the Celtics. Ultimately, it was not enough.
This injury seems like a minor setback for Doncic at this point. And if he can come back soon fully healthy, the Mavericks have a legitimate chance to return to the Finals next year.
