Mavs Star Luka Doncic Gives Leg Injury Update: 'It's Better'
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks officially opened their training camp for the 2023-24 season on Wednesday. Among the several 'burning questions' facing the team was the status of superstar Luka Doncic's quad, with opening night being less than a month away.
During the FIBA World Cup, Doncic re-aggravated the same quad injury he suffered toward the end of last season, forcing him to miss five consecutive games in a crucial March stretch with the Mavs' postseason hopes fading. His comments on re-aggravating the injury after Slovenia's tough loss to Lithuania last month raised some concerns.
"I do not know what to say," Doncic said in Manila. "It's not okay. At the same time, I have to prepare for one more game and a whole season in the NBA."
Despite stating the nature of his injury was not fully healed throughout the World Cup preparation process and during the actual competition itself, Doncic led Slovenia to finish seventh, marking the first time the nation's men's basketball team had reached the quarterfinals at the World Cup. He shined individually, averaging 27.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, helping the team to overcome injuries to key standouts, including Vlatko Cancar and Edo Muric. Regardless, the continued mention of a lingering injury remains a natural concern.
After the Mavs' first training camp practice, Doncic gave an update on his injury, sounding slightly more optimistic now that he's had a few weeks to recover.
"It's better," Doncic said on Wednesday. "We still have some appointments, so when we get a clear [idea] of what it is, we'll let you guys know."
It's common for players who participate in international play during the NBA offseason to have a lightened workload during training camp and preseason. Doncic anticipates being mostly a full participant.
"I think maybe because we have two-a-days in the afternoon, we're going to get some walkthroughs, but I'll maybe talk with Dionne [Calhoun] to skip some stuff, but otherwise I'll do it," Doncic said.
The origin of Doncic's injury remains unclear, given he could not pinpoint the moment it occurred shortly after it happened late last season. He first mentioned it after a road loss against the New Orleans Pelicans in early March, which caused him to be sidelined for the fourth quarter.
"I just woke up the next day, and it was hurting you, but I didn't get hit, and I obviously don't think so, but I don't know," Doncic said in March.
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Doncic described the impact of the injury as causing weakness in his leg, specifically when attempting to shoot or jump. At the time, he felt the pain was manageable and clearly continued to do so as he finished the World Cup playing 38 minutes in a win against Italy, and in the game prior, had logged 37 minutes in the second game of a sequence that involved back-to-back days of competition.
"When I try to shoot or jump, I feel like this leg is a little weaker," Doncic said in March. "Pain-wise, it's a little bit, but it's not too bad."
Doncic was commonly listed as day-to-day and was sidelined for five games until returning to action in late March amid the Mavs' push to earn a play-in spot. The eight games he played after returning from injury before the team began tanking in their final two performances of the season featured impressive averages of 30.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists.
The durability of Doncic remains an important storyline to monitor throughout the 2023-24 season. The team dealt with injuries to Doncic and Kyrie Irving after the All-Star break last season, playing an important role in the team ultimately failing to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Despite how instrumental Doncic is to the Mavs' potential success, any team's success goes beyond the availability of their top player. Dallas must achieve improvement in defense and rebounding to put together a more consistent unit. The front office focused on those areas when making offseason roster changes.
There is optimism surrounding the Mavs after adding rookies Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, as well as a new group of veterans that includes Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Dante Exum, and Derrick Jones Jr. The team also remains encouraged by the ongoing development of Josh Green and Jaden Hardy.
The Mavs open the preseason on Oct. 5 & 7 in what will be a two-game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi. Before returning to North America, the Mavs will face Doncic's former team, Real Madrid, on Oct. 10, and then they will conclude the preseason against the Detroit Pistons ten days later.
To open the regular season, the Mavs will be the first team to face rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama on Oct. 25 in a road matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.
