Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic return a testament to his conditioning

The Dallas Mavericks got Luka Doncic back after missing four games due to injury. Based on the injury, the fact he is already back is an impressive testament to Luka’s preparation for the season.

Anyone who was watching the Dallas Mavericks play the Miami Heat likely lost a little hope for the remainder of this Mavs season. When Luka Doncic stepped on Kendrick Nunn‘s foot and his ankle basically touched the floor, there was more than one person who thought that could be a long-lasting injury for the Slovenian superstar.

Many fans who watched that game would’ve been happy to hear that Luka may only be out a month. You can imagine the excitement and disbelief when everyone found out that he would only be missing four games, not including the one he went down in.

The fact that Luka is already back from a nasty looking ankle injury is a testament to two things: his conditioning leading up to this season and his drive to be out there on the court. These two things remind me of another Dallas Mavericks superstar as well.

It has not been a well kept secret that Dirk Nowitzki was one of the most committed players in the NBA to keeping his body in peak condition. He was always focused on staying in shape, staying limber and never risking his body in any way off the court. This is a large part of the reason he was able to play in the league for so long.

Luka is nowhere near Dirk’s level of commitment, but there is no doubt that he wants to be on the court just as bad. Reports came out during the Miami game that Luka was on the underwater treadmill by halftime. He went down in the first minutes of the game. At that time, reports were already surfacing that this injury may not be as severe as it appeared, yet no one really believed it.

Even though Luka predictably had some issues with keeping his wind throughout the game against the San Antonio Spurs, he was still able to play over 30 minutes and was effective with his time on the court. Some sluggishness like that is to be expected from any player, but a 24-point, 10-rebound, 8-assist night is hard to argue with all the same.

The Mavs supporting cast played admirably in the five games without Doncic. Although they finished 2-3, they fought hard against every team and could’ve easily come out with a 4-1 record by the end of it all. Obviously it feels like a missed opportunity with some of those games, especially the Raptors game, but it is also proof to just how badly the team needs Luka.

It really is impressive how quickly Luka came back from a bad-looking ankle injury and it shows that he really is fully committed to this team. Doncic is going to be an All-Star this year and he will be in the MVP conversation as well. Enjoy the ride, Mavs fans.