Mavericks' Luka Doncic Ruled Out vs. Pelicans With Heel injury
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić suffered a right heel contusion in Thursday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Doncic had a game-high 31 points with eight rebounds before exiting at the beginning of the fourth quarter while Dallas held a double-digit lead.
Dončić has dealt with an ankle injury at times this season, but he has been fairly durable throughout his career and never appeared in fewer than 61 games in a campaign.
When healthy, the 23-year-old is one of the best players in the league and an MVP candidate with a resume that includes four All-Star selections, a Rookie of the Year and three All-NBA nods. He helped lead the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals last season and is the primary reason expectations remain high in 2022-23.
Dončić is averaging 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from deep this season.
Dallas doesn't have anyone on its roster who can truly replicate what its go-to option does on a nightly basis, and it will require a group effort to tread water if he is sidelined.
Look for Spencer Dinwiddie to assume a larger role while Josh Green and Reggie Bullock will likely see more playing time.
Still, the Mavericks will not be realistic threats come playoff time if Dončić isn't healthy and on the floor.
