Luka Dončić Won't Play for Mavericks vs. Warriors Because of Heel Injury

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić will not play in Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors because of a heel injury suffered in Thursday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans:

Losing Dončić for a lengthy amount of time could be devastating as the Mavericks (28-25) are fourth in a crowded Western Conference.

The four-time All-Star has missed six games this season. The Mavs have lost all six of those games by an average of 12.5 points.

In 47 games with Dončić, the Mavericks are 28-19. He is having an MVP-caliber season with 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. The 23-year-old is shooting a career-high 50.4 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point range.

One of the biggest reasons Dallas has been unable to win without Dončić so far this season is a lack of high-ceiling depth on the roster. Christian Wood has been the second-best scorer on the team with 18.4 points per game, but the big man wasn't even starting regularly until Dec. 17.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie are nice role players, but they've never elevated the ceiling of any team they've been on.

Dončić has been the definition of a one-man team so far. He's raised his game to keep the Mavericks in playoff contention, but any time he has to miss is going to cause concern.

Head coach Jason Kidd will likely move Josh Green into the starting lineup until Dončić can return. Green is having a solid season off the bench with 7.9 points per game on 43.4 percent three-point shooting.