In the words of Mrs. Doubtfire, “Help is on the way dear!”
Luka Doncic has missed the first two games of the Dallas Mavericks first round series against the Utah Jazz. The remaining Mavericks have done an admirable job holding down the front without Luka, playing the Jazz to a 1-1 stalemate. The ultimate ceiling of the Mavericks always depended on the return of Luka despite fantastic performances by Jalen Brunson and Maxi Kleber in game two. It looks like the remaining Mavericks may have reinforcements on the horizon.
Luka Dončić (left calf strain) is questionable for Game 3 in Utah.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) and Frank Ntilikina (illness recovery) will remain out.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) April 20, 2022
Questionable still means that it is far from a certainty that Luka will play but this represents a huge upgrade from the previous updates which made it clear that Luka was not playing. As reported by Grant Afseth of Si.com, Luka appeared to sound confident that he would be playing, stating “If there’s no risk of (further) injury, I’ll be out there. Today and yesterday I did a little bit. We shouldn’t rush anything, but step by step, I think I’m improving a lot, and I’m getting better.”
The long term health of Luka should absolutely be the organization and Luka’s first priority. That is why the if so important. But it is extremely difficult as a fan not to see the possibilities the return of Luka would open up for the Mavericks. With the injury to Devin Booker, a potential second round series with the Phoenix Suns is no longer quite as daunting(we wish Booker a speedy recovery).
We will not know for sure if Luka is going to play until tip off. But Luka Doncic is at least a possibility for playing in game three and that should make every Mavericks’ fan excited. The Mavericks role players have done a fantastic job steering the ship with Luka injured, but they shouldn’t have to do so much longer. Help is on the way!