Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for tonight's season opener against the San Antonio Spurs due to a left calf strain. Reportedly, Doncic injured his calf during practice while the Mavericks were in Spain. Because of this, Luka's minutes have been very limited this preseason.
Luka did not play in Dallas' final preseason game on Oct. 20. In fact, the last time Doncic played under a whistle was Oct. 10, where he got a meager five minutes of action against his former club, Real Madrid.
According to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Doncic's calf is feeling better and he hasn't been limited in practice.
Per Brad Townsend:
“Better, but we’ll see (about Wednesday,” Doncic says. Says he has no soreness in the calf, but more will be known after today’s practice, which hadn’t started. pic.twitter.com/bE9lrnEFXe
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) October 24, 2023
When asked if he anticipated playing tomorrow, Doncic said, "Not yet. I wouldn't know yet. I've been practicing for two days now, so I feel pretty good, but we'll see how it feels tomorrow morning."
On one hand, whether Luka plays tonight or not, the Mavericks are optimistic Doncic won't be sidelined for too long. On the other hand, last season, the Mavericks had a record of 5-11 without Luka Doncic. Needless to say, Luka's impact on the court is palpable. Even though the Mavericks finished 38-44 and failed to make the play-in tournament last season, Luka averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists.
There are also two other Mavericks questionable for tonight: Jaden Hardy (left ankle sprain) and Dwight Powell (illness). As the new season begins for Doncic and the Mavs, they will be put to the test against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs tonight. Keep in mind, the Mavs added Grant Williams and drafted Dereck Lively II this offseason. Overall, this inner-state battle should be a fun matchup.