After Friday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks are entering the most important part of their season. They will play multiple big games against elite contenders with many players injured or ill with a mysterious locker room sickness that has plagued the team since the end of November.
Despite the team facing plenty of adversity less than halfway through the season, some players have taken advantage of extended playing time with superstar Luka Doncic likely sidelined for the remainder of the month due to the calf strain that he suffered on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Among the few positives over the last week has been Quentin Grimes’ emergence as a potential starting lineup replacement at some point.
In addition to Grimes’ starting lineup emergence, Klay Thompson has proven many doubters wrong with his impressive play over the last week. Thompson has been among the few Mavericks who have offered a consistent offensive flow with his elite outside shot-making ability, and he is proving that he can produce even without Doncic in the lineup.
While many fans are holding hope for Doncic’s return to the lineup at the end of the month, in a recent viral video taken during the Mavericks’ latest game against the Cavs, Doncic can be seen limping to his scooter over a week after straining his calf. This video is not only concerning regarding the Mavericks’ status without Doncic but also Doncic’s timetable to return from injury, which could be longer than fans realize.
