Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic made his return to the court Thursday night against the San Antonio Spurs after missing the past two weeks with an ankle injury.
With some help from Seth Curry, it looks like the second-year player has not missed a step. Doncic finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 102-98 win over the Spurs.
Already one of the most skilled players in the league, the 20-year-old Doncic returning from injury can’t be seen as great news for other Western Conference contenders.
The injury: When Doncic rolled his ankle back in Dec. 14 against the Miami Heat, it looked really bad. In fact, there was some concern that this might be a long-term injury.
LUKA BACK.@luka7doncic | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/lx4kwecyOU
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 27, 2019
Other factors: Looking at the ultra-competitive Western Conference, it’s easy to conclude other top-end teams might be concerned about a healthy Doncic.
The danger zone: No longer are these Mavericks a feel-good story.
We’ve already focused on Doncic being one of the most dominant offensive players in the game. Here’s a dude who entered Thursday’s action averaging 29.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists on 48 percent shooting from the field.
He’s doing things at this age we have not seen from anyone since LeBron James. Now, with Doncic able to return from a scary-looking injury without missing a step, this has to be seen as a nightmare scenario for rival Western Conference squads.
It’s that simple.
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