Dallas Mavericks avoided potential disaster with Luka Doncic injury

The Dallas Mavericks seemed to have dodged a huge bullet when it comes to the injury to Luka Doncic.

After an offseason in which they significantly upgraded their supporting cast, the Dallas Mavericks have gotten off to a superb start to the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Through the first month and change of the season, the Mavs are 10-6 and just 1,5 games off the pace of the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

Clearly, the Mavs are in a great season as they look to truly hit their stride. Even though the Mavs have lost four of their last six, there's hope that they may have dodged a huge bullet. After sustaining a hand injury, it doesn't appear as if Luka Doncic will miss much time with the injury. There was initial concern that it could cost him a few weeks or possibly more, especially after he had his hand wrapped after the game.

Even if he does miss some time, the belief is that it won't be a prolonged absence for the NBA MVP candidate. In the midst of a bit of a turbulent few weeks, if the Mavs are going to right the ship, they're going to need a healthy Luka to help guide the way.

Where do the Dallas Mavericks rank in the Western Conference hierarchy?

As the season goes on, it'll be interesting to see where the Mavs stack up against the rest of the West contenders. On paper, with Kyrie Irving and Luka, this team is going to have a shot against any other team in a seven-game series.

However, as we saw toward the end of last season, the Mavs being a true contender in the conference is everything but a guarantee. But if Luka continues to play at an unbelievable pace, and if the supporting cast continues to prove the masses wrong, this is a team that could emerge as a potential dark horse threat.

Part of the team's chances will revolve around avoiding the big injury. So far, it appears the Mavs have been fortunate enough to do that. The most recent example of that was this scare to Luka.

Right now, the Mavs have a top 5 offense. If they're going to remain near the top of the Western Conference, they're going to need to improve on the other end of the floor. Dallas has been struggling recently on that end of the floor and that tells the story of the team's recent struggles.