The startling trade that sent five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for nine-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks is still having an impact on both teams and the NBA. Davis was sidelined on Monday with an adductor strain — a condition that was formerly known as a “groin pull” — and will miss “multiple weeks.”
On the other end of the transaction, the 25-year-old Doncic had only appeared in 22 of the Mavericks’ 49 games before to the trade, none since Christmas Day, and would sit out his first three games with the Lakers. The 2018-2019 NBA Rookie of the Year was dealing with a left calf tightness, but he eventually suited up and made his Lakers debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz.
The Lakers defeated the Jazz 132-113. Doncic had a small effort, playing only 24 minutes and scoring 14 points, five assists and six rebounds. The startling trade that sent five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for nine-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks continues to ripple across both teams and the NBA. Davis was sidelined on Monday with an adductor strain — a condition that was formerly known as a “groin pull” — and will miss “multiple weeks.”
On the other end of the transaction, the 25-year-old Doncic had only appeared in 22 of the Mavericks’ 49 games before to the trade, none since Christmas Day, and would sit out his first three games with the Lakers. The 2018-2019 NBA Rookie of the Year was dealing with a left calf tightness, but he eventually suited up and made his Lakers debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz.
The Lakers defeated the Jazz 132-113. Doncic had a small effort, playing only 24 minutes and scoring 14 points, five assists and six rebounds.
The startling trade that sent five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for nine-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks is still having an impact on both teams and the NBA. Davis was sidelined on Monday with an adductor strain — a condition that was formerly known as a “groin pull” — and will miss “multiple weeks.”
On the other end of the transaction, the 25-year-old Doncic had only appeared in 22 of the Mavericks’ 49 games before to the trade, none since Christmas Day, and would sit out his first three games with the Lakers. The 2018-2019 NBA Rookie of the Year was dealing with a left calf tightness, but he eventually suited up and made his Lakers debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz.
The Lakers defeated the Jazz 132-113. Doncic had a small effort, playing only 24 minutes and scoring 14 points, five assists and six rebounds.
More bad news about Doncic’s health.
But, as the Lakers prepare to play the away half of their two-game series with Utah on Wednesday, the team’s final game before the NBA’s weeklong All-Star break, they received more terrible news regarding their newest superstar acquisition. Doncic is once again classified as “questionable” on the NBA’s daily injury report for February 12, with Wednesday’s game planned for 7 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (9 p.m. Eastern) at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center.
The injury report status suggests that Doncic will sit out the game, in which the 32-19 Lakers are 9.5 point favorites over the 12-40 Jazz, despite playing away from home.
Doncic was not named to the All-Star team this season, ending a five-year streak for the Ljubljana, Slovenia native who was drafted third overall in the 2018 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks then promptly moved Doncic to Dallas for Trae Young, the Mavericks’ fifth overall pick, and a first-round pick in 2019.
Doncic’s absence from All-Star Weekend means that if he sits out again on Wednesday, he will have an eight-day respite to heal his calf strain before the Lakers return to action at home against the Charlotte Hornets on February 19. By then, Los Angeles hopes Doncic will be ready to join LeBron James as part of a dual threat capable of leading the Lakers to their 18th NBA championship.
Doncic garnered 1.6 million All-Star votes, ranking third among all guards. However, in the NBA selection process, fan votes account for only 50% of the ultimate decision. The remaining half is made up of votes cast by players, coaches, and a media panel.
Mavericks’ Owner Implies Doncic’s lack of ‘focus’
But how quickly will Doncic recover from his nagging injury? The player’s physical conditioning and discipline have previously been questioned, and shortly after the trade, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont appeared to say that Doncic lacked the “right character” to help the Mavericks — who reached the NBA Finals last season but lost in five games to the Boston Celtics — build for the future. Doncic suffered injuries during the Finals versus Boston.
“In my mind the way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture, and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome,” Dumont said, according to CBS Sports. “If you don’t have that, it won’t work. If you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
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