The Dallas Mavericks were handed a devastating blow on Monday as it was revealed superstar Luka Doncic is dealing with a calf strain that he suffered in the season finale on Sunday. While the MRI came back negative, there is currently no timetable for his return with the Mavs' playoff series against the Utah Jazz set to start this weekend.
Of course, it's going to be extremely tough for Dallas to advance past the first round without Luka running the show. At this point, it's frankly unknown how long he could be out. Nevertheless, here are 3 players who must play out of their minds to give the Mavs a fighting chance.
This one is an absolute no-brainer. Spencer Dinwiddie has actually been a nice fit for Jason Kidd's squad since coming over in the Kristaps Porzingis trade in February, giving the Mavs another ball-handler who can create and find his own shot. He's essentially been the standout of the second unit, averaging 15.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds on a 40% clip from downtown. But, Dinwiddie is struggling immensely over the last few weeks, registering under 15 points in eight straight games.
It hasn't exactly hurt the Mavs because of Luka's nightly dominance, but he must rise to the occasion. If Doncic is sidelined for part of the first round, Dinwiddie is almost certainly going to get starting minutes. The 29-year-old will need to deliver and break out of this cold streak.
Arguably the Mavs' second-best player, Jalen Brunson has turned into a key piece of Dallas, serving as Luka's backcourt partner. Despite being only 6'1, Brunson does a terrific job of generating a lot of his scoring inside. His entire skillset is extremely valuable too, posting 16.3 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. There's is absolutely no doubt Kidd will be relying on Brunson to pick up the slack offensively if their star guard isn't available.
In fact, Brunson usually thrives with more touches. For example, he served as the primary PG on March 23rd against the Rockets as Luka sat out with ankle soreness. Brunson showed out, posting 28 points in 29 minutes. The former Villanova standout can flat out score the rock. He would probably average 20+ per contest if he had a bigger role elsewhere. This is his time to shine.
No one on the Mavs roster has started as many games in 2021-22 as Dorian Finney-Smith. He's been in the first unit in 80 of the team's 82 contests, contributing at a high level at both ends. But if there is one specific area where he needs to keep getting it done, it's from downtown. Doncic is obviously a player who likes to shoot from all over the court. But in particular, he takes 8.8 triples per night. Finney-Smith meanwhile drains them at a 39% clip on a career-high 5.4 attempts. That number is going to skyrocket if Doncic is on the shelf against Utah.
Defensively, Finney-Smith is a physical presence. He could even be tasked with guarding a Donovan Mitchell in this series at times because his size matches up better than say a Dinwiddie or Brunson. Finney-Smith is arguably one of the Mavs' best defenders and that will need to continue.
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