Luka Dončić left Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the third quarter with an injury to his left thigh. Worse for the Dallas Mavericks and their fans, it sounds like Dončić will be out of action for longer.
After the game, Dončić addressed the media and bluntly said, “not good.”
He later explained that he’s been hurt since shortly after the All-Star Break, and that running and pushing off have been difficult. Dončić will also have an MRI on Thursday.
Mavericks' Luka Doncic says his quad injury is "not good" and that he will get an MRI on it tomorrow.
Doncic says it's been challenging to push off of the leg and that he's felt it since the second game after the NBA All-Star Break. pic.twitter.com/KoMOkIk8Kd
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 9, 2023
This led to some obvious questions and concerns.
WHY WASNT IT LOOKED AT BACK THEN ????
— Aya Kyrie Irving (@TK8AYA7) March 9, 2023
Why play him through injury if it risks injured him even more? 😭😭 unserious organization https://t.co/9D5NUzmNup
— Ratih (@ratihsesa) March 9, 2023
Malpractice https://t.co/QuZOycjpsg
— ✭ Jazz ✭ (@jazzlynn626) March 9, 2023
If any player is clearly hobbled and not playing to the best of his abilities, the team and its medical crew need to step in and investigate the matter.
This is especially true when the player in question is your franchise player and one of the best in the entire league. Any player slipping through the cracks and playing hurt without the organization realizing it (and Dončić wasn’t listed on the injury report) would be a bad look for the organization. When it’s a player of this caliber, it’s even worse.
The hope for Dončić, the Mavericks and their fans is that the injury won’t be too severe. But regardless of how it turns out, this isn’t a great look for the organization.
