Mavericks fans erupt in panic as Luka Doncic's injury isn't what it seems

After Friday night's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks are entering the most important part of their season. They will play multiple big games against elite contenders with many players injured or ill with a mysterious locker room sickness that has plagued the team since the end of November.

Despite the team facing plenty of adversity less than halfway through the season, some players have taken advantage of extended playing time with superstar Luka Doncic likely sidelined for the remainder of the month due to the calf strain that he suffered on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Among the few positives over the last week has been Quentin Grimes' emergence as a potential starting lineup replacement at some point.

In addition to Grimes' starting lineup emergence, Klay Thompson has proven many doubters wrong with his impressive play over the last week. Thompson has been among the few Mavericks who have offered a consistent offensive flow with his elite outside shot-making ability, and he is proving that he can produce even without Doncic in the lineup.

While many fans are holding hope for Doncic's return to the lineup at the end of the month, in a recent viral video taken during the Mavericks' latest game against the Cavs, Doncic can be seen limping to his scooter over a week after straining his calf. This video is not only concerning regarding the Mavericks' status without Doncic but also Doncic's timetable to return from injury, which could be longer than fans realize.

Viral video suggests Doncic's injury is worse than expected

It's not uncommon to see people use a scooter over a week removed from an injury like Doncic suffered. However, what is disturbing is seeing Doncic hobble to the scooter in visible pain.

Doncic's original timetable to return from his injury was expected to be at least a month from his Christmas Day injury considering that it was originally reported that he would be re-evaluated in a month. However, after seeing this video, Doncic's availability could be pushed even further. He was trying to put the least amount of pressure possible on that injured leg, and his injury may be more serious than it seems considering that he had to use a scooter and was moving like that.

Mavericks fans panicked all weekend long about this viral video of Doncic, and by the looks of it, he won't be touching the court anytime soon in any capacity. This calf strain looks to be much more severe either of his previous calf strains that he has dealt with, and the original month-long timetable will likley be surpassed before we know it.

To many, missing a month of action may not seem like the worst thing for the Slovenian superstar considering he has had problems staying on the floor due to nagging injuries and conditioning concerns, so this may give Doncic much-needed time to get 100 percent before returning to the hardwood.

Despite this positive outlook, it's no secret that the Mavericks have been struggling without Doncic. They have had little to no identity on either end of the floor and have lost four straight games with constant movement in the starting lineup as Jason Kidd searches for answers.

Doncic didn't only give the team stability, but as fans are witnessing, the Mavericks have zero identity on the offensive end without him in the lineup which is a large reason for these four losses. They are having to figure out how to play with just Kyrie Irving, and even Irving has missed some games recently due to illness and injuries, and now he is set to miss more time as he is dealing with a bulging disk in his back. Irving's injury happened at the worst possible time, and fans will be counting down the days until they get to see Dallas' superstar duo share the hardwood again.

Once Doncic returns, it will likely be around the trade deadline or even after it, which also means right before the All-Star break. Assuming Doncic does return fully healthy, it could be at the perfect time considering Dallas may be fighting for their lives to remain in the playoffs at the rate they are currently dropping games.

The best thing the team can do is not panic and let this injury and illness bug pass naturally while not pulling the trigger on any win-now trades. Assuming Dallas can do this and stay afloat in a loaded Western Conference, the Mavericks could be in a prime position to make yet another late-season surge and into the playoffs.