Luka Doncic is undoubtedly one of the most in-form players in the Western Conference right now. He’s enjoying an excellent 2022 so far and has already bagged his third Western Conference Player of the Week award. He’s right up there with fellow MVP candidate Joel Embiid of the Eastern Conference.
Doncic, 23, who hails from Ljubljana in Slovenia, has been in impressive form for a while. However, he’s far from a flash in the pan or a player who has suddenly found his feet, as this is actually the second year running where the Dallas Mavericks star has bagged a hat-trick of Player of the Week accolades.
Dirk Nowitzki, who starred for the Mavericks between 1998 and 2019, is the current holder of the franchise’s record for the most Player of the Week awards won in a season, after collecting four during the 2009/10 campaign. However, with the improvements that Doncic, who is famed for wearing the number 77 jersey, is making to his game, he will likely not only equal Nowitzki’s record but go on to surpass it. And, at just twenty-three, the offensive powerhouse has plenty of years to make it happen.
In the final week of the Maverick’s regular-season schedule, Doncic managed to amass an impressive 30.3 points on average, with 10.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists. He did this as his team secured three victories from three on-court outings. But, disaster struck during the Maverick’s game against rivals San Antonio Spurs.
The Mavericks were showing their prowess against the Spurs, and Doncic had at that point turned in a 5-star performance, with twenty-six points to his name. Things couldn’t have been going any better ahead of the playoffs. That was until, while on a drive to the basket, Doncic pulled his calf, forcing him to make his way off the court.
The way Doncic exited the court with a hobble was a bad sign, and details on the current prognosis are unknown. It’s expected that his left calf will undergo an MRI scan, with the hope being that the situation isn’t as bad as many fear. But, even a grade 1 strain could mean up to ten days or so on the sidelines, which will effectively rule him out of the Maverick’s playoff opener against Utah Jazz, which is less than a week away.
While the Mavericks will still fancy their chances in the playoffs, even without Doncic’s services, it’s fair to say that the Slovenian has been in the form of his life, and his absence has already started to affect the game odds, showing how valuable he’s been to the team.
So, it will certainly be a case of everyone with a connection to the Mavericks keeping everything crossed for good news following scans. Doncic has enjoyed a great season so far and has been a driving force behind his team’s excellent performances. It would also be a shame for him to be ruled out for the foreseeable future.