The MRI on Luka Doncic confirmed a left calf strain. However, the Dallas Mavericks' refusal to reveal the severity of the injury is a concerning sight for Mavs fans.
On Monday afternoon as the results of the MRI were revealed, Tim MacMahon of ESPN noted that the Mavs didn't give a specific timetable for the return of their lone superstar. Instead, he noted that Dallas is “not ready to make any determination on Luka Doncic’s availability for Saturday’s Game 1.”
Luka Doncic’s MRI today confirmed a calf strain, as expected, per source. Mavs have not set a timetable for his return. https://t.co/iqYXmbJK0I
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 11, 2022
Luka Doncic sustained his calf injury late in the third quarter of Sunday's contest against the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavs diagnosed him with a calf strain and he was eventually ruled out for the remainder of their final regular season game.
While there were some optimism that Doncic didn't suffer a significant injury, the latest development is not helping in erasing the worries of fans. After all, the fact that the Mavs are withholding such vital information suggests there could be some legitimate concerns about the issue. If everything is fine and Doncic won't be missing time, there's really no need to hide the severity of the issue.
Not to mention that he was recently spotted in a hospital wearing a walking boot. While the fact that he is able to walk is good news, fans couldn't help but be worried of what's really going on with him.
Of course there are possible reasons why Dallas is not yet ready to give an official statement on the injury and a timetable. It could very well be because a calf strain usually requires at least one week of healing. Even if Doncic's injury is minor, he will only have five days to recover–which could not be enough to get him in time for Game 1 against the Utah Jazz.
There is also the possibility that the Mavs are still assessing how long Luka will really need to get healthy and determine when he can return depending on how he responds to the treatment. Put simply, it could just be Dallas trying their best to find ways for their superstar to get back in time for the postseason.
As NBA insider Marc Stein noted, the Mavs are not obligated to publicly share the details of Luka's injury anyway, so they are free to handle the situation as they please while they thoroughly check his injury.
Dallas has already announced that Luka Dončić has a left calf strain and is not obligated, five days before Game 1, to publicly share details about today's MRI findings. So the wait for clarity on Luka's status for Saturday's Game 1 against visiting Utah is likely to continue.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 11, 2022
Luka Doncic is not expected to miss the whole playoffs, but there is a real possibility he could be out in Game 1 of their first round playoff series. They have homecourt advantage after finishing fourth in the standings, but it will be hard for them to exploit that if their best player is out.
The Mavs have committed to being a one-star team when they traded Kristaps Porzingis, instead focusing on surrounding Luka with complementary pieces. The problem with that, as everyone is seeing now, is what happens when that lone star suffers an injury. Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie have proven before they can still lead the team to wins even without Luka, but the issue is the postseason is always a different beast.
Doncic has done well in taking care of his body and getting into great game shape in the second half of the season after starting the year in poor condition. Hopefully, that helps him in his recovery and quick return to the NBA court.
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