Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic will miss a week of pre-season preparation after suffering a left calf contusion during a workout, the NBA team said on Wednesday. The Mavs said the Slovenian star took a knock while training and would be reevaluated in a week. Dallas open their pre-season campaign on Monday with a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies. They open the regular season against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on October 24, and ESPN reported that Doncic is expected to be fit by then.
Doncic averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game last season as he helped the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, where they fell to the Boston Celtics. As training camp began this week, Doncic, heading into his seventh season with the Mavs, said the aim this season is to go one better. “Championship, that’s the goal,” he said in comments posted on the team’s website.
The Mavericks hope the free agency acquisition of Klay Thompson, a four-time champion with the Golden State Warriors and one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, can help them go all the way. “That’s why I’m here,” Thompson told reporters on Tuesday as the Mavs opened training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada. “That’s the goal of this team this season is to obviously win a championship. But with my experience you’ve got to take it week by week. Right now, my goal in the present is just to have an amazing training camp.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said he expects Thompson’s contribution to extend beyond his shooting skills. “His work ethic is like no other,” Kidd said. “He’s going to help the younger guys, but also he’s going to help everyone when he’s on the floor. He’s been there, he’s won, he’s lost, and he understands what it takes to get there.”
Thompson is another veteran presence on a team that also features eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving. “I know a lot of pressure and eyes are going to be on me and Klay and Luka, but for us we’ve done a great job even just from afar just distributing that responsibility,” Irving said. “Because I’m going to be needed in different situations, he’s going to be needed in different situations — me and Klay — and Luka is going to be needed to be in different situations. I think we all bring a different expertise.”
Irving had surgery to repair a broken left hand in July. He said this week the enforced rest time was actually a boon. “Unfortunate circumstances, but also I think it was much-needed in terms of just how to slow down after a long season like we had,” Irving said.
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