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Jason Kidd Makes Big Luka Doncic Injury Admission Ahead of Victor Wembanyama Showdown

Published 10/23/2023, 3:10 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Is Luka Doncic in doubt for the season opener? Has he picked up a serious injury? The current comments by Jason Kidd leave a bit of speculation. After a busy summer that included a lengthy FIBA World Cup campaign and the training camp, Doncic is nursing a calf injury.

Therefore, his status for the Dallas Mavericks‘ opening fixture against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs is in doubt. This injury cloud can create a sour feeling as the Mavs fans look forward to the Kyrie-Luka pairing after the two spent much-needed off-season time together. 

Will Luka Doncic play during the Mavs’ opening fixture?

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Jason Kidd monitoring the Luka Doncic injury situation

While Doncic practiced before the Wemby showdown, coach Kidd sounded cautious. As per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Kidd stated, ”The plan is for him to practice again tomorrow and we’ll see how he feels”.

Therefore, there is still a chance that he will suit up for the much-anticipated tussle. However, this current injury scare can surely concern a lot of Mavs fans.

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The long summer may have taken a toll on the All-around phenom. However, it did make him prepare for the upcoming grind too. Perhaps, this is a minor injury that can be managed early on and doesn’t become a bother down the line. Doncic has never played during all 82 games of the Regular Season in his career. However, he has never played less than 61. He missed 21 games last season and usually misses games in the 15-20 range. 

With the arrival of Kyrie Irving, can he afford to miss these games? But if he misses games, the Mavs’ already questionable depth looks abysmal. As the team prepares for the Wembanyama showdown, how do they match up against them?

Brief dissection of Mavs’ season opener

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The biggest trouble that the Mavericks will have against the Spurs is obvious; controlling Wemby. He can wreak havoc on Mavs, who is having trouble identifying a starting Center. Coach Kidd will need a lot of bodies around the Center. Meanwhile, the team has a decisive advantage in the backcourt with Doncic and Irving. However, if the Slovenian phenom misses them, it will hurt them a lot.

USA Today via Reuters

And to curb depth concerns, his availability is pivotal. Sure, Irving can carry an offense but with the lack of scoring depth, they can get exposed in the long battles of the league. Therefore, managing Doncic’s injury is going to be a huge focus.

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Will he play at least more than 70 games this season?

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Written by:

Shubham Singh

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Shubham is an NBA Writer at Essentially Sports. He became a fan of the NBA in late 2000s and his interest skyrocketed after Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks upset the Miami Heat in Six Games during 2011 NBA Finals. He loves looking into playing styles of different players and teams while also trying to analyse what circumstances shape a typical NBA game.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja