Insider reveals Mavericks' timeline on Luka Doncic's long-awaited return

The Dallas Mavericks are in the middle of a rollercoaster stretch of the season right now, as they have lost 10 of their last 14 games, but they took a major step in the right direction on Thursday evening when they took down the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road. This was Dallas' third win against Oklahoma City Thunder this season, and they have quietly become their kryptonite.

P.J. Washington continues to put up major performances against the Thunder, as he finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds on Thursday, and the Mavericks are going to need him to continue to step up in big moments as they take on the Boston Celtics for the first time this season later this afternoon.

This is the first time for Jason Kidd and the Mavs to get revenge on Boston after they were defeated in five games in the NBA Finals last season, but they'll be without Luka Doncic in this game as he continues to nurse his strained calf from Christmas Day. Doncic has been out for exactly one month, and injuries and illness have been major hurdles that Dallas has been forced to deal with this season.

Doncic and the Mavericks seem to be on the same page about his return

The Mavericks have struggled mightily without Doncic in the lineup, unlike his absences from earlier in the season, and fans are counting down the days until his return. It was recently reported that Doncic's goal is to return before the NBA All-Star break in the middle of February, and it sounds like the Mavericks seem to have a similar date in their head for when he'll return.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dallas is "optimistic" that Doncic will return to the hardwood before the NBA All-Star break next month. The Mavericks' timeline seems to match up with Doncic's, and this could be the perfect time for him to return.

The NBA All-Star break is from February 14 until February 19, and Dallas has some big games in early February ahead of the midseason break. The Mavs play Boston, Cleveland, and Houston all in early February, and their schedule calms down right before the All-Star break as they play Golden State and Miami in a home back-to-back on February 12 and February 13. Dallas will enter the All-Star break following a four-game homestand, and this homestand seems like an optimal time for him to return.

He would be able to recover much more effectively with him being at home rather than on the road, and the five-day All-Star break will give him even more rest to gear up for the final stretch of the season. Dallas will have eight days off between their final game before the All-Star break and their first game following the All-Star break, and if the rumblings being reported now come to fruition, Mavericks fans will be seeing Doncic make his return within the next three weeks.

Calf injuries have not been Doncic's friend over the last few years, and the Mavericks being cautious about his rehab and potential return date could help lead to him being fully rejuvenated and energized for the final month and a half of the regular season.