Breaking News! Dončić Out for a Month, Loses All Award Eligibility
On the afternoon of December 27th, Beijing time, NBA insider Shams reported that Luka Dončić suffered a left calf strain and will be re-evaluated in a month! During the Christmas Day game between the Mavericks and the Timberwolves, Dončić was forced to leave the game due to injury in the second quarter. Over the next month, the Mavericks have 16 games scheduled, and Dončić has already missed 8 games this season.
This means that Dončić will miss at least 24 games this season, unable to play in 65 regular-season games, thus losing eligibility for all major awards, including the All-NBA Team and MVP. Currently, the Mavericks are fourth in the West with a record of 19 wins and 11 losses, leading the fifth-place Nuggets by two games. With Dončić's injury, it will be difficult for the Mavericks to maintain their top-four position.
In the games Dončić has missed this season, the Mavericks have a record of 6 wins and 2 losses. While this win rate sounds high, the sample size is small, as there have only been 8 games. The next month will be a real test for the Mavericks. Dončić's left calf is an old injury that has flared up again; he missed the first three games of the 2022 playoffs due to this injury and did not play in any preseason games this year.
So far this season, Dončić has played 22 games, averaging 35.7 minutes per game, scoring 28.1 points, grabbing 8.3 rebounds, dishing out 7.8 assists, making 2 steals, and blocking 0.4 shots, with shooting percentages of 46.4%, 35.4%, and 76.7%. His average points per game is the lowest in the past four years, his average assists are the second-lowest of his career (only higher than his rookie season), and his average steals are the highest of his career.
Dončić averages 30.8 points on Christmas Day, ranking fourth in history. Only Tracy McGrady (43.3), Jerry West (32.2), and Wilt Chamberlain (31.7) have higher averages. It can be seen that Dončić's movement on both offense and defense this season is quite slow. A calf strain should not be rushed back from, as persistent playing through the injury could lead to Achilles problems.
Dončić has been selected to the All-NBA First Team for five consecutive years, but with this injury layoff, his streak will be interrupted. Dončić's current contract is worth 207millionover5years,expiringinthesummerof2027,withasalaryof43.03 million this season. Whether or not he is selected to the All-NBA Team this season will have no impact on his contract.
Finally, we wish Dončić a speedy recovery. Do you think the Mavericks' record will decline?