Christmas Day did not provide the appropriate blessing to the men in blue. Till a few days ago, the Dallas Mavericks were establishing a memorable win record, having won 19 of their 29 games to secure a spot as the fourth seed on the Western Conference points table. However, as the team went up against the Minnesota Timberwolves, lead scorer Luka Doncic sustained a non-contact calf injury. As he limped off the court, attendees at the American Airlines Center may have realized that the ailment was no joke.

Now, as an update has been provided on the player’s condition, there is a feeling that the Mavericks may be entering a dark couple of weeks. Earlier today, ESPN insider Shams Charania broke the news that Luka Doncic will not be re-evaluated again for another month!

This means that the Slovenian is expected to miss out on all of the 17 scheduled games that are set to take place between now and 26 January. To make matters worse, 11 of the games are against the top 10 teams of both conferences! Therefore, though not his fault, Luka Doncic may have chosen the worst time to get sidelined.

Luka Doncic had exited the Christmas Day game, against the Timberwolves, after playing for just 16 minutes and making 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. As the clock highlighted 3 minutes remaining in the 2 quarter, Luka Doncic gained possession of the ball. He attempted to drive to the bucket while being blocked by Jaden McDaniels. Suddenly, he turned, passed the ball to Kyrie Irving, and grabbed his ankle. Hobbling to the locker room, he did not return for the remainder of the game. Doncic’s absence may have cost the Mavericks the game, as the Timberwolves took the win by a 105-99 score.

When giving an update on the injury during the aftermath of the matchup, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd didn’t have much to say. He only stated, “You never want anybody to get hurt or have injuries, but it’s part of the game. Hopefully this will be his last one and hopefully it’s not too serious.” Well, as NBA enthusiasts may know now, it is pretty serious.

This is not the first time this season that the 25-year-old point guard/shooting guard was sidelined due to an ailment. Around the 2 week of November, he was listed on the Injury Report as ‘Questionable’ due to a left groin strain. Fortunately, the same did not prevent him from being away from the court. However, a little after mid-November, the right knee contusion that he had sustained caused Luka Doncic to miss out on the Mavericks’ six consecutive games. Fortunately, the team was able to manage without their star player. After all, they did go on to win 5 of the 6 games!

Hard effort, with a slight bit of luck, may have helped the Dallas Mavericks squad in Luka Doncic’s initial long-term absence. However, within the 1-month period, the team will face the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-4), the Houston Rockets (21-9), Oklahoma City Thunder (24-5), two matchups against the Denver Nuggets (16-12), and other tough competitors with strong win records. Therefore, to cover for this one month, the franchise management will have to figure out some things.

What changes can the Dallas Mavericks make to the starting lineup in light of Luka Doncic’s absence?

According to RotoWire, Luka Doncic’s injury is something that the Dallas Mavericks squad may not look to take any chances on. After all, this is not the first time the Slovenian has been injured on his left calf. Therefore, even after he returns, the franchise may have to rely upon its rotation and backup players.

During Luka Doncic’s absence from the court, players like Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jaden Hardy can see increased responsibilities on the backcourt. Having played in 28 of the team’s 30 games, Grimes has averaged 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists with an average playtime of 20.8 minutes. Spencer Dinwiddie has been performing on the same level, having averaged 8.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Meanwhile, with an average playtime of 14.5 minutes, Jaden Hardy has averaged 6.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

Neither of the three players is close to being on the same level as Luka Doncic. However, they are the ones who will be required to step up during the upcoming crucial games. After facing a bit of a slump earlier, the Dallas Mavericks were able to recover as the games progressed. For the sake of the squad, we’re hoping that if the team goes through another slump, it won’t be a major one.