The Dallas Mavericks will take on the Memphis Grizzlies short-handed on Friday night, as superstar guard Luka Doncic has been ruled out for this matchup due to personal reasons. While the specifics of Doncic's absence were unknown at first, Luka later posted on Instagram that he and his fiancé welcomed their daughter into the world.

Doncic, who has led the Mavs to a 11-6 record through the month of November, is now set to miss his first game of the 2023-24 season.

In a total of 17 games this season, Doncic has averaged 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three-point range. The Mavs All-Star currently ranks amongst the best of the league in scoring and assists, as he ranks third and sixth in these categories, respectively.

If there was any time that the Mavs had to be without Doncic, they would probably prefer it to be right now given the soft stretch of games coming up. Including the Grizzlies on Friday night, four of the Mavs' next five games are against teams with a losing record that reside at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Based on record, their only tough game during this stretch will be on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Overall, Doncic is vital to the success of the Mavericks. Every offensive play flows through him and there is a reason why Luka finds himself in the MVP conversation alongside the likes of Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. One of the best offensive players in the league right now, Doncic's absence will leave a void on the Mavs' roster.

In wake of Doncic missing Friday night's game against the Grizzlies, Kyrie Irving will be the focal point for Dallas. The Mavs went out and traded for Irving last season in order to have him as the team's No. 2 star and now, he will do what he does best by stepping into the foreground to try and lead his team to another victory. Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Grant Williams will see an increase in workload offensively as well.

The Mavs defeated the Grizzlies 125-110 earlier this season, as Luka Doncic led the way with a game-high 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.