The Dallas Mavericks found out they were on Santa’s naughty list as they lost their Christmas Day game to the Timberwolves. To make matters worse, All-Star guard Luka Doncic hobbled off mid-game, holding his leg. It was later revealed that he suffered a calf strain. The injury is a re-aggravation of an existing ailment, which will now sideline the Serbian star for at least a month.
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Although this has major implications for the team, Doncic’s individual season suffers drastically as well. ESPN analyst Tim McMahon claims any MVP discussions for Doncic are now over. McMahon took to The Hoop Collective Podcast to discuss the Serbian’s poor luck. He went on to explain the facts behind why Doncic’s MVP hopes are no more. He said,
“I think we can forget any Luka MVP discussions. Probably even All-NBA discussions. I think that streaks coming to an end just because he’s very likely not going to meet the 65-game minimum, having already missed eight games. He can only miss another nine over the final 50ish games.”
McMahon’s claims have nothing to do with Doncic’s performance in the year. Although he started off a bit slow compared to his standards, he is dominating the computation as NBA fans have grown accustomed to. On the season, Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. The reason McMahon is quick to dismiss Doncic’s MVP hopes is due to his potential inability to reach the games played threshold.
The requirement for any individual award is to play a minimum of 65 games. Doncic has already missed eight games so far this season. As a result, he can only miss another nine games before he becomes ineligible for awards. This means his five-year streak of earning All-NBA First Team honors will most likely come to an end.
Of course, Doncic will look to return as soon as possible. However, with his recovery period not having a solidified timeline, that may prove to be difficult.
Mavericks will be careful with Doncic
Dallas won’t take any risks as Doncic recovers from this injury. His eight-game absence earlier in the season proved the team is more than capable of surviving without the five-time All-Star.
The Mavericks hold an impressive 6-2 record in the eight games played without Doncic. A few of those wins come against playoff teams in the Western Conference such as the Thunder, Nuggets, Knicks, and Clippers. Their ability to perform at a high level without Doncic will allow their franchise player to recover to 100% before returning.
His recovery will be imperative as this isn’t the first injury Doncic has suffered on this leg. Luka strained the same calf during the regular season finale in 2022. Additionally, he strained it again in Madrid during last season’s preseason.
The last thing the Mavericks want is this to be a lingering injury for the rest of his career. Therefore, it’s safe to assume they’ll take every precaution possible to ensure Luka Doncic is at his healthiest before he returns to the court. If that means sacrificing his chances at an MVP or breaking his All-NBA First Team streak, so be it.
