Camila Sosa
The results of the MRI performed yesterday on Dallas Mavericks Slovenian star Luka Doncic do not seem to have been the best news for the team led by Jason Kidd.
On Tuesday morning, April 12, the organization made an official statement regarding the current physical limitation of its franchise player, limiting itself only to confirming that he suffered a sprain in his left calf and without giving further details about the severity of the injury.
The extent to which the injury is affecting Luka is unknown at this time, and could be as simple as a grade 1 that will take 15 days to heal maximum, or a grade 2, in which Doncic will likely have to miss the entire first round and the second round of the post-season should Dallas advance from their date against the Utah Jazz.
What Will the Mavericks’ Procedure with Luka Doncic Be?
The Mavericks will provide an update on the 23-year-old forward’s physical condition in the hours leading up to Game 1 of the series, which will be played this Saturday, April 16 at American Airlines Arena. Regarding the NBA, it is already expected that Doncic will be absent in this first meeting due to the amount of doubts related to his current physical condition.
However, within the roster, both Jason Kidd and teammates Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie have all communicated that Luka is in a positive frame of mind despite his injury in the hopes that it is not too serious and that he can return to the series as soon as possible. It will be up to the franchise, who knows exactly how serious the injury is, whether or not to clear Doncic to participate in the series.
Were the injury to be serious enough to keep him out more than two weeks, the best move for Dallas is not to risk its superstar simply to advance from the first round. Luka hasn’t suffered any serious injuries in his career, and a rushed return could lead to exactly that, needlessly, as however hopeful may the Mavs be, the odds of winning beyond the second round in the playoffs are not by their side.
The Jazz already have a slight advantage in terms of their chances of winning the series thanks to Doncic’s absence, but a possible return changes the whole picture for both squads. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell will need to secure their team’s lead quickly because the longer the playoffs drag on, the more chances the Slovenian has of returning.
