Latest Intel On Luka Doncic Calf Injury
Apr 13, 2022, 6:49 PM
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic holds his leg after suffering a calf injury (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – With the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks opening-round playoff series three days away, all eyes are on the left calf of Luka Doncic.
The young superstar suffered the calf strain in the Mavericks season finale on Sunday, and his status ahead of game one is in question.
On Monday, Doncic underwent an MRI on the calf, and on Tuesday, the Mavericks confirmed the injury but offered no updates on the guard’s timetable to return.
With less than 72 hours until the series begins, this is the latest intel on the Doncic injury.
Wojnarowski: More Than Mild Strain
ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski gave the most definitive update on Doncic this week, saying the injury could seriously impact Doncic’s availability to open the series.
“I’m told this is more than just a mild calf strain,” Wojnarowski said.
“The Mavericks are very much preparing for the possibility of not only maybe not having him in game one, but maybe even game two.”
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The Jazz surrendered home-court advantage to the Mavericks in the final months of the season but could wrestle that back by winning one of their two opening games on the road against a shorthanded Dallas team.
The Mavericks went 8-9 this season in the 17 games that Doncic missed, leading to some urgency to see the star accelerate his return from the calf injury.
“If this was the regular season you would even be talking about him possibly playing this weekend,” Wojnarowski reported.
Dallas Media On Doncic Calf
Additional reports on Doncic’s injury were released this week by members of the Dallas media who have been covering the Mavericks’ practices.
On Wednesday Doncic was seen wearing a wrap on his injured calf under his shoes and socks while riding a stationary bike.
No real update from Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic: "He's in good spirits, so we'll see how he feels tomorrow. Externally, he looks the same." Luka was riding the stationary bicycle after the media was allowed into practice. He strained his left calf Sunday against the Spurs. pic.twitter.com/KRzPEkWzeF
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) April 13, 2022
Dwain Price, who works for Mavs.com, offered this update from Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.
“He’s in good spirits, so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. Externally, he looks the same.”
Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News reported that Doncic was still involved in the Mavericks’ practice despite his injured calf according to forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
“He’s definitely involved still, so [he’s] helping us, you know, with schemes and offense, what he sees,” Finney-Smith told the media. “He’s still walking around with that smile on his face, so you’d never really know what’s going on.”
Dorian Finney-Smith on Luka Doncic: “He’s definitely involved still, so [he’s] helping us, you know, with schemes and offense, what he sees. He’s still walking around with that smile on his face, so you’d never really know what’s going on.” https://t.co/FcpVtJejEX
— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) April 13, 2022
The return from a calf strain can vary from a few days to a few months depending on the severity of the injury.
The Jazz saw both Bojan Bogdanovic and Rudy Gobert miss nine games from calf strains earlier this season, though the team was being extra cautious before the postseason.
The two teams are set to open the NBA Playoffs on Saturday at 11 am MT in Dallas at the American Airlines Center.
The game can be heard on KSL NewsRadio and The Zone Sports Network. The series opener will be televised on ESPN, AT&T SportsNet, and FuboTV.
