With their national broadcast debut against the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks kick off the regular season today. After sustaining a calf injury early in training camp, Mavericks star Luka Doncic will also participate in his first game today.
There are still many unanswered questions about the Mavericks’ condition following the conclusion of the preseason, even if they have retooled around Doncic and Kyrie Irving after missing out on winning the Larry O’Brien trophy by three games.
Klay Thompson, a recently acquired shooter, will also be one of the many Mavs making their Dallas debuts. Although Thompson’s offseason addition was required, the four-time champion’s output might be constrained in the absence of a healthy Doncic; yet, recent practice reports suggest that the two are off to a scorching start.
There is still a significant underlying factor regarding Doncic’s availability in the first game of the regular season, even though practice reports were encouraging just a few days before the Mavericks’ season started.
Klay Thompson, a recently acquired shooter, will also be one of the many Mavs making their Dallas debuts. Although Thompson’s offseason addition was required, the four-time champion’s output might be constrained in the absence of a healthy Doncic; yet, recent practice reports suggest that the two are off to a scorching start.
There is still a significant underlying factor regarding Doncic’s availability in the first game of the regular season, even though practice reports were encouraging just a few days before the Mavericks’ season started.
The Mavericks and Doncic decided not to take any chances until he was completely recovered after he suffered a calf injury just one day into training camp.
Despite suffering several injuries, Doncic managed to participate in the playoffs last year and led the Mavericks to their first Finals appearance in thirteen years. Doncic’s resilience has always been undeniable, but at the start of the season, he and the club realized they couldn’t take any chances with his health.
Doncic couldn’t pass up the chance to potentially participate in another Olympics for his native Slovenia, even if it would have been wise to take some time to allow these injuries to heal after the playoffs.
Doncic was finally able to take the time he needed to recover from the many injuries he had incurred during the season after losing to Giannis Antetokoumpo and Greece in the last pre-Olympic qualifying round.
Doncic appeared to be in excellent shape as he arrived to training camp. The Mavericks made the proper decision in allowing him to rest, even though a calf ailment might be discouraging. Regretfully, Doncic’s lost opportunity may have been crucial to the Mavericks’ explosive start.
Some of the top talents in the NBA frequently choose not to participate in the preseason at all, but Doncic’s situation is special. Given the Mavericks’ summer signings, Doncic needs to get along with some of the new players right away.
Since Doncic didn’t have time to get into game form, it’s also reasonable to think that he might start slowly. Even though this is just the first game, Doncic and the Mavs are still expected to do well.
Doncic has made some scathing remarks that have the league on edge even if he isn’t playing. Doncic’s absence could have a negative impact on both the team and his performance in the opening weeks of the season.