FEBRUARY 11: After practicing today, Doncic told reporters that he’s ready to return on Wednesday, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Barring any setbacks, the star guard will participate in this weekend’s All-Star Game. He also plans to play in Friday’s Rising Stars game, per Sefko (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 10: Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that the team hopes All-Star guard Luka Doncic will be able to return to the court on Wednesday for a tilt against the Kings, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com.
“He’s progressing, he’s continuing to ramp up his activity over the last week,” Carlisle said. “He scrimmaged yesterday (Sunday) for a significant amount of time. He scrimmaged today (Monday) for a significant amount of time.”
The news that Doncic practiced with the Mavericks for consecutive days is encouraging.
Doncic was diagnosed with a moderate ankle sprain in late January, and has been sidelined for the past seven games, including tonight’s contest. The second-year Mavericks player was voted to start in his first All-Star game appearance by fans, players and media. A Wednesday return would put him on track to participate in that game.
The 20-year-old Doncic has led the upstart Mavs to a solid 32-21 record, good for the current No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. The Kings are 21-32, 5.5 games out of the No. 8 seed and a playoff berth.
The two different injuries to Doncic surrounding an injury to Porzingis along with Dwight Powell out for the year has crippled any chance we had to make some noise. The team dropped 4 spots in the standings and they don’t know how to win close games. We need a 3rd star. Hardaway is a great 4th.
Dallas needs a 2nd star, Porzingis is a great 3rd.
Houston could use one too, as it stands the rockets are built to beat the warriors, but have now been leap frogged by the Mavs. Porz is trash, but I would still rather have him as a second than anyone on the rockets.
So Westbrook isn’t a star player even though he right behind Kawhi for #7 in the NBA in scoring? Good to know.
First time I’ve heard of a 4th star. Nice precision & probably accurate. Not that I believe in it. Not that the Sixers are impressing with two 1.1th stars and two 3.4th stars. This post gets two and a half stars, the middle of five getting cut in half.