Here's The Luka Doncic Timetable For Missed Mavs Games (And What About All-Star Game?)
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic sustained a right ankle sprain in Thursday's practice, causing him to miss tonight's contest against the Rockets in Houston - and now, says Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, to miss five more games after that.
The first order of business for Dallas is getting Doncic healthy as soon as possible. Next up is trying to stay afloat for the six games, which on the Mavs schedule means sitting out the Rockets game, a second-night-of-a-back-to-back Saturday visit from the Hawks, a Monday, Feb. 3 road game at the Pacers, a Wednesday, Feb. 5 visit from the Grizzlies, and then another back-to-back, on Feb. 7 and 8 at the Wizards and Hornets.
The next game after that is Monday, Feb. 10 at home against the Jazz. So according to Carlisle's timetable he could be back for the Wednesday, Feb. 12 visit from the Kings.
But here's the wild-card in the planning: Those two games (Jazz and Kings) come right before the All-Star Break, with no Mavs games scheduled until Feb. 21 at Orlando. That nine-day break could do wonders for a bum ankle ... except of course, in that middle of that period is the Feb. 16 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Doncic, 20, is an MVP candidate with averages of 28.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists and was selected as a first-time All-Star to the game, and the NBA planned on making him a high-profile featured personality during the festivities.
Carlisle's timetable would seem to clear the way for Luka to be OK by All-Star time. Doncic and the NBA itself would surely and strongly prefer that outcome.
But Dallas (29-18 enters the weekend in fifth in the West and trying to achieve in the postseason. ... meaning consideration for keeping him from doing too much, too soon - maybe even in Chicago in mid-February - must be in play.
