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Luka Doncic returned from injury on Monday in the Dallas Mavericks' 132-108 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. Doncic is likely to play on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he is listed as probable with a left heel contusion on the NBA injury report. The Mavs received another important update on the injury report as well, however.
Jaden Hardy, who has not played since December 5 due to a right ankle sprain, has been upgraded to questionable.
Hardy, 22, has appeared in 22 of the Mavs' 29 games this season. He is receiving just 14.5 minutes of action per outing, though. Hardy features an intriguing ceiling, but he has yet to truly take the next step in his career.
Hardy is currently averaging 6.5 points per game on 39.1 percent field goal shooting up to this point. For Hardy, it all comes down to consistency. There have been times where he has displayed his scoring potential. In other games, however, Hardy has been unable to find his groove on the floor.
At the moment, he is simply hoping to be available once again after dealing with the aforementioned ankle injury. His return will be important for the Mavericks, a team that understands the importance of depth.
The Mavericks and Timberwolves will play on Christmas Day in a highly-anticipated affair. The two teams went head-to-head in the Western Conference Finals last year, a series that saw Dallas emerge victorious. Minnesota would obviously love to get revenge on Wednesday.
From an injury standpoint, it appears that Doncic will play barring unforeseen circumstances. Still, his status will be worth closely monitoring until he is officially made available.
Meanwhile, Hardy's chances of playing are questionable as of this story's writing. The Mavericks will provide updates on his status ahead of Wednesday's game. Regardless of whether or not Hardy plays against the Timberwolves, the fact that he was upgraded to questionable is encouraging.
