DALLAS — Just when Mavericks fans probably thought the franchise’s COVID-19 concerns couldn’t get much worse, they did on Wednesday, considerably so, with news that franchise linchpin and All-NBA first-teamer Luka Doncic has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
This means that Doncic, whom coach Jason Kidd hoped would return from a five-game left-ankle injury absence on Thursday against Milwaukee, will be further sidelined — for up to 10 days or until he is able to submit two consecutive negative results.
Doncic certainly will not be able to play Thursday, and his status for the Mavericks’ schedule Christmas night game at Utah is in significant jeopardy, a potential blow to the Mavericks but also the NBA, which already has multiple stars, including the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, in health and safety protocols and perhaps sidelined for the marquee Christmas games.
Along with announcing Doncic’s status, the Mavericks said that guard Trey Burke, who unlike Doncic is unvaccinated from COVID-19, has entered health and safety protocols, raising the franchise’s number of players sidelined by protocols to six. So far.
Doncic was on the bench Tuesday night during the already short-handed Mavericks’ home victory over Minnesota, despite the fact that coach Jason Kidd said before the game that Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis and other injured players mostly likely would be sent home rather than risk potential exposure to teammates who might unknowingly have COVID-19.
