Mavericks star could miss start of season

Doncic has been ruled out for the remainder of the Mavericks' pre-season games after suffering a calf strain during a Mavericks practice in Madrid on Oct. 9. That injury limited Doncic to just five minutes in Dallas' long-awaited game with his old club, Real Madrid, and now it's keeping him out of the final preseason game Friday.

The Mavericks reloaded their team this offseason, building around Doncic and Kyrie Irving. One of the most important factors is whether the All-Star duo can stay healthy this season, and the calf injury isn't a promising start.

Doncic has been dogged by lower-body injuries throughout his career. In 2022, he missed the Mavericks' first three playoff games with a calf strain, along with the final two weeks of the season. He's missed 23 games in his career with ankle injuries, and missed five games with a left thigh strain last year. 

While Doncic has played through injuries many times, it's a discouraging start to to the season. The Mavericks say they're "optimistic" that Doncic plays in their season opener in a week, but he's still only riding a stationary bike and spot shooting at practice.

The Mavericks hoped that Doncic would improve his fitness and that the reconfigured team would bond during their European preseason. Instead, their most important player may be out when the season starts.