Luka Doncic Reportedly Suffers 'Concerning' Ankle Injury During Mavericks Practice
By Karl Rasmussen
Luka Doncic has emerged as a superstar in his second year in the league, but hasn't had as full a season as he would have liked. The Mavs star has missed a chunk of time, shelved due to an ankle injury, earlier in the year.
Per reports, it appears the 20-year-old sustained an equally concerning ankle injury during Thursday's practice. ESPN's Tim MacMahon described the ailment as being "similar" to the injury he sustained earlier in the year.
A source describes Luka Doncic's right ankle injury as similar to the one he suffered earlier this season. Doncic missed four games and returned to practice 11 days later after his previous ankle sprain.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 30, 2020
Doncic's previous ankle sprain caused him to miss four games, and with the Mavericks barely holding onto the fifth seed in the West, his latest knock could be cause for concern.
At 29-18, the Mavericks are currently tied with the Rockets, and only one game ahead of the seventh-place Thunder. If Doncic is forced to miss a handful of games due to his injury, the Mavs may find themselves plummeting down the standings.
Luka Doncic turned his right ankle in practice, Carlisle says. that's all the information he provided right now, but I will say Mavs staffers seem concerned right now.
— Tim Cato (@tim_cato) January 30, 2020
Replacing Doncic will be an impossibility for the Mavs, though they'll certainly be putting more of the workload on the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and JJ Barea.
On the year, Luka is averaging 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, while shooting at a 32.1% clip from beyond the arc, draining 2.9 3's per contest.