Is Luka Doncic playing tonight against the San Antonio Spurs? | February 23rd, 2023 | 2022-23 NBA Season
Luka Doncic missed a handful of games before the All-Star break, but it does not appear to be an issue. The All-Star point guard is not on the latest injury report, meaning he should be on the floor against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.
At the beginning of February, Luka Doncic missed four games after falling awkwardly while attacking the rim. Despite their early struggles without him, they managed to win three of those matchups. Part of that success stems from recent addition Kyrie Irving entering the fold.
The All-Star break could not have come at a better time for the Dallas Mavericks as they were in the midst of a rough skid. Even with Doncic taking the floor, they lost their previous three games. One of them being a crushing three-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As the final lap of the regular season gets ready to begin, Dallas finds themselves in sixth place in the Western Conference. Things are still air-tight as they are only a game and a half out of the fourth seed. That being said, they also need to watch out for the New Orleans Pelicans as they are only a half game behind them in seventh place.
The Dallas Mavericks need Luka Doncic at 100%
It goes without saying how it important it is for Luka Doncic to be fully healthy at this point in the year. The fate of their season rests soley on his shoulders.
More importantly, the Dallas Mavericks need Doncic on the floor as much as possible in these final games. Him and Kyrie Irving need all the reps they can get before the postseason gets underway.
Expectations rose greatly following the trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The two star guards need to figure things out quickly if they want to be a threat come playoff time.
Another reason why Doncic needs to be on the floor consistently is for his MVP case. He has stiff competition in Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, but the Mavs star can still get himself in the conversation.
In 50 games this season, Doncic is averaging 33.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists. The key to upping his case is getting Dallas higher in the standings. If the Mavericks are a top-four seed and he is averaging a near triple-double, it will be tough not to have him in the realm with Jokic and Embiid when it comes time to vote.