Report: Luka Dončić To Miss "Multiple Games"

 

After a strong start to the season, the Dallas Mavericks have seen themselves slip precipitously in the standings, now sitting at one game under .500 at 12-13, losers of 9 of their last 12 games. Now, adding injury to insult, if you will, franchise player Luka Doncic is expected to miss "multiple games" due to a lingering ankle injury, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. 

Mavs star Luka Dončić is expected to miss multiple games due to persistent left ankle soreness that has already ruled him out tonight in Oklahoma City, league sources say.

A precise timetable is still being determined, sources say, as Dallas enters a Sunday/Monday back-to-back.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 12, 2021

Doncic is out for Dallas' Sunday/Monday back-to-back games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets, while an exact timetable is still being determined. 

The 22-year-old superstar missed three games after first injuring the ankle almost a month ago, and although he'd returned to the lineup for several games, the ankle has continued to bother him. 

Some observers have questioned Doncic's conditioning this season, not the least of which Reggie Miller, on a recent TNT broadcast.

“To me, looking at him, this is the heaviest I’ve probably ever seen Luka look, right now,” Miller said. “And I know he’s had a long year with the Olympics, but look how he’s plodding up and down. He’s not really running... To me, he's got to trim down.”

Luka, to his credit, has acknowledged the criticism, and accepted it. "I know I’ve got to do better. I had a long summer, and then I relax(ed) a little bit... maybe too much, and I’ve just got to get back on track.” 

Dallas is 0-4 without Luka this season heading into Sunday night's action, so they can ill afford to be without him for long. 

Photo Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports