(Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images)
There is pressure for the Dallas Mavericks to come out strong during the 2023-24 NBA season as they’ll need to prove they belong in the playoff race in the Western Confernece.
The Mavericks flamed out toward the end of last season and ended up missing the postseason altogether, a disappointing outcome for a team that featured both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
However, Dallas is hoping that a full offseason with their two stars will turn their fortunes around though they’re already dealing with a minor setback as Doncic recovers from a left calf strain.
Doncic suffered the injury during their exhibition game against Real Madrid and has missed the team’s preseason games since.
All indications are that the Slovenian superstar will be fine, though it’s concerning that he’s yet to return to the court.
Ahead of their first game of the regular season, Jason Kidd provided a status update on Doncic’s timetable via Grant Afseth of Sports Illustrated.
Jason Kidd says Luka Doncic doesn’t yet have a timetable for return and is still being evaluated as he recovers from a left calf strain.
Doncic was limited to five minutes against Real Madrid and will be out tonight against the Pistons.
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) October 20, 2023
Not having a timetable for Doncic’s return doesn’t sound great, though the sense around the team is that the injury isn’t considered to be very serious.
If Doncic is forced to miss time, though, Irving is expected to assume most of the offensive burden in his place.
Irving is more than capable of taking on the scoring load, but Kidd and the rest of the Dallas organization is surely hoping that Doncic is able to suit up on Wednesday.
It would be a shame if Doncic can’t go to begin the season, so hopefully he heals up quickly.
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