Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić will be on ice due to another injury. The Mavs are holding steady at 19-11 in the Western Conference and have already endured missed time from Dončić. How their next 30-day stretch will play out without Luka remains to be seen. Whether they can stay above water in that time or falter downward, losing their franchise star will not be easy moving forward.
Mavericks Superstar On Ice for Lengthy Stretch
Mavericks Superstar Luka Dončić Sidelined for a While, Per Shams Charania
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon, Dončić’s injury will keep him out of the lineup for at least a month. He will be reevaluated at that time. The injury in question is a left calf strain that occurred in the Mavericks Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dončić has already missed eight games this season—a right knee contusion, a right wrist sprain, and a left heel contusion. Yet, despite him being out for that time, the Mavericks have managed to maneuver themselves into the fourth seed. They are presently sandwiched between the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets in the standings. A month is a much different story than eight days, though. It will be up to Kyrie Irving to lead the team in Luka’s absence.
Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes are also expected to see a significant uptick in their minutes and roles on the team. Both players average 20-plus minutes per game already. That number will surely rise to the 30-minute threshold alongside Klay Thompson. His 27 minutes per game will also likely surpass 30. If there is one, the upside here is that in the eight games Dončić was sidelined, the Mavs didn’t falter, going 6-2.
30-Day Outlook
Over the next 30 days, nine of the Mavericks’ 15 opponents are above .500 and current playoff teams in the standings. Several key matchups include the Nuggets and Thunder twice as well as the Grizzlies, Lakers, Rockets, Cavaliers, and the Celtics. They visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday evening to close out the Christmas week.
Luka’s injury came at a bad time in terms of scheduling. On the flip side, dealing with his lengthy absence now is a better lot, considering where they are in the standings. Dončić going down closer to the conclusion of the regular season for a month could be disastrous. The West is ever so tight, and seeds four through 11 seem to change daily. Currently, the Mavericks have a four-game win cushion over the Suns, who are in the eighth seed. But the Nuggets are not far behind the Mavericks—only three wins. It just so happens that Denver and Dallas matchup twice, back-to-back, on January 12 and 14. Luka will not be available, of course.
Even if Dončić was healthy and playing, navigating the West is rough terrain. Simply staying above water might be the Mavericks’ best chance to come out of the next 30 days and still be sitting in a competitive spot in the standings. Luka’s return after a month isn’t guaranteed, either. As Shams reported, he will be reevaluated at that time. For the Mavericks’ sake, let’s hope that their superstar doesn’t miss extended time after the reevaluation.
