Dallas Mavericks Must Adjust Quickly To Luka Doncic Injury

The Dallas Mavericks may lose Luka Doncic to a lengthy recovery process after the star point guard suffered a non-contact left calf injury on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Doncic is currently scoring nearly 30 points per game and is a focal point in Dallas’ plucky championship hopes.

Doncic exited the game against Minnesota in the second quarter after clutching his left leg and failing to get back on defense during a lengthy Timberwolves possession. He struggled to walk under his own power to the locker room, obviously exiting for good. The Mavericks eventually settled down and even managed to get back into contention, but could not make up enough ground in a 105-99 defeat. Initial reports are inconclusive but seem to suggest that Doncic will be forced to miss considerable time.

The impact of losing Doncic cannot be overstated for the Mavericks, who have been contenders whenever the point guard has been available since his debut in 2018. He has led the team to the playoffs four times, progressing further in the bracket each time. The team is sure to suffer setbacks while it discovers a way forward in the 2024-25 season.

Shooting guard Klay Thompson, who joined the team in the off-season, identified Kyrie Irving as the team’s inherent new leader on the floor. Irving is scoring 24 points per game to this point in the season and scored 39 on Christmas Day, the game Doncic exited early. The 32-year-old veteran has formed a dynamic pair with Doncic over the last few seasons, and without his highly efficient counterpart, he has now been labeled the new “finisher” for Dallas. Thompson also recognized that Irving would not be able to do it alone.

“It’s just an opportunity for one of us to step up, so it can be done, and we look forward to this time without (Doncic). He’s obviously our best player, but we’ve got to be tested, and this is a good test ahead of us.”

Thompson is one of several role players who will have to step up and support Irving, but guard Quentin Grimes may prove even more important. In a limited capacity, the team has consistently turned to Grimes to produce more when Doncic or Irving have been unavailable. This may be an extended test for the 24-year-old shooter, who could use his 41% three-point shooting accuracy this season to fill in the massive hole left by Doncic.

The Mavericks are currently fourth in the Western Conference with a 19-11 record, but seven teams are within four games of that mark in a very crowded field. Dallas may need several games to fully adjust to a system without its star point guard — time it doesn’t seem to have.

Article by Patrick Moquin