Luka Dončić Says He Feels 'Perfect' After Calf Injury Ahead of Mavs' Opener vs. Spurs
October 22, 2024
After missing the entire preseason with a calf injury, it sounds like Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić is ready to return to the court in Thursday's season opener against the San Antonio Spurs.
Dončić told reporters after practice on Tuesday that his injury is "fine now, it's perfect" as the Mavs gear up for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Mavs announced earlier this month that Dončić suffered a left calf contusion during a workout, but there was no concern at the time regarding his availability for the season opener.
Dončić's time on the sidelines robbed him of the chance to develop some early chemistry with some of his new teammates, namely Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes. He hasn't played competitively since his time on the Slovenian national team during the Paris Olympics. He admitted that practicing with the new-look Mavs is not the same as live action, so he expects it would take some time for them to find a groove.
"I mean, probably," Dončić said. "I didn't play a game since the national team, it's kind of tough. Games are always different than practicing, so we'll see on Thursday."
Dončić and the Mavs are coming off a surprising run to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. Adding new pieces around Dončić and star guard Kyrie Irving is expected to keep Dallas in contention this season, but it won't be an easy path in the competitive Western Conference.
Dončić is a perennial MVP contender, so it can be expected that he's in for another big year for the Mavs if he can stay healthy.
