Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle suggested on Sunday that star wing Luka Doncic could make his return sometime after Christmas:

Doncic has not played since suffering a mild ankle sprain against the Miami Heat on Dec. 14. Initial feedback seemed to indicate that he would miss at least a couple weeks, but Doncic gave reason for some optimism when he was spotted shooting jumpers prior to Dallas' game against the Boston Celtics on Dec. 18.

Carlisle stated even then that Doncic was unlikely to play during the Mavericks road trip. He sat during a big win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday and will be out again for Sunday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors, but this latest quote suggests that Doncic is definitely getting closer.

There's even some optimism that Doncic may return against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday:

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Granted, the Mavericks do not want to rush Doncic back into action before he is ready. They have managed to split the first four games in his absence, including big wins over the Sixers and Milwaukee Bucks and narrow losses to the Celtics and Heat (Doncic was injured within the first three minutes against Miami).

Kristaps Porzingis has finally broken out since Doncic's injury, and Seth Curry has been an explosive scorer off the bench.

This is not to suggest that any one player can replace Doncic. The Slovenian star was unquestionably one of the best players in the NBA prior to the injury, anchoring a Mavericks offense that, at one point, led the NBA in terms of offensive rating.

Dallas will continue to monitor Doncic's health as they await the eventual return of their star.