Jason Kidd Reveals Luka Doncic's Status for Final Preseason Game

Jason Kidd gave the latest on Luka Doncic's calf injury

Apr 2, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) holds up his hand before heading towards the team bench against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks will play in their final preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night in Dallas, and Jason Kidd was hoping it would be a "dress rehearsal" before the regular season. To have a dress rehearsal, they'd need Luka Doncic available, and his status is still up in the air following a calf contusion at the beginning of training camp.

Coach Kidd said after practice on Wednesday that Doncic was a full participant in practice and did "really, really well," but also said that it's unlikely Doncic will play against the Bucks on Thursday night.

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Doncic has missed the entire preseason to this point, and given his injuries in last year's postseason run, it makes sense to hold him out and ensure he's healthy for the season. He enters the season as the favorite to win MVP and it's not worth risking his health in a preseason game.

Dallas has been beaten up in the preseason, with Dante Exum out for at least three months following wrist surgery, Maxi Kleber and Kessler Edwards dealing with ankle injuries, and other players dealing with various ailments. They got P.J. Washington and Brandon Williams back for their game against the Clippers on Monday night, but even Klay Thompson has been playing through some back tightness. For a team that has title aspirations, they need to get healthy.

There will be a week between the end of the preseason and the start of the regular season, so Doncic should be ready to go for that first game against the San Antonio Spurs on October 24th.

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