<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-injury-return-2024-preseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Luka Doncic takes step toward injury return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Luka-Doncic-takes-step-toward-injury-return.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Luka Doncic takes step toward injury return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-12T14:29:08-07:00">October 12th, 2:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-12T14:29:08-07:00">October 12th, 2:29pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks held practice on Saturday ahead of their upcoming game in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Monday. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd provided injury updates on Luka Doncic and PJ Washington.</p><p>“PJ went through practice, he was good,” Kidd said. “And then Luka participated in non-contact today, so he was good.”</p><p>So will Doncic and Washington <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1845155163750715652" rel="noopener">be ready for Monday’s game</a>?</p><p>“I would not say Monday,” Kidd said. “But we will see how everything is going when we come back from LA. We will probably have a better sense of what’s going to take place on Thursday.”</p><p>Doncic is dealing with a calf contusion while Washington is battling hip tightness. Neither injury is considered to be serious but the Mavs are still closely monitoring the concerns.</p><p>Kidd had provided an update on Washington Friday as well, stating that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-dallas-klay-thompson-pj-washington-injury-updates">Mavs forward got some work in during Friday’s practice</a>. The most recent update on Doncic before Saturday, however, came before Thursday’s preseason game against the Utah Jazz. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-luka-doncic-playing-preseason-injury">Kidd said Doncic likely wouldn’t play Monday but did not rule out the final preseason game</a> against the Milwaukee Bucks, something that seemingly hasn’t changed.</p><p>However, Doncic participating in “non-contact” is a promising step. He still has work to do before playing in a game but Doncic appears to be headed in the right direction.</p><h2><b>Luka Doncic still dealing with injury</b></h2><p>The Mavericks would surely love for Doncic to play in a game alongside new teammate Klay Thompson before the regular season. With that being said, Dallas also will not rush Doncic back. There is no reason to risk further injury.</p><p>It remains to be seen if Doncic or Washington will play in the preseason. They have not played yet, and the Mavericks may not make a final decision until Thursday’s game against the Bucks.</p><p>We will continue to monitor and provide updates as they are made available.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Luka Doncic takes step toward injury return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-luka-doncic-playing-preseason-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Jason Kidd doesn’t rule out Luka Doncic playing in preseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mavericks-news-Jason-Kidd-doesnt-rule-out-Luka-Doncic-playing-in-preseason.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Jason Kidd doesn’t rule out Luka Doncic playing in preseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-10T17:28:57-07:00">October 10th, 5:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-10T17:55:16-07:00">October 10th, 5:55pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are playing the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving are making their 2024-25 preseason debuts, but Luka Doncic remains out with a calf injury. So will Doncic play during the preseason?</p><p>“Luka is feeling great,” Kidd <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1844507205762253261" rel="noopener">told reporters before Thursday’s game</a>.  “We will see (if he will play in the preseason)… Running out of games. But we will see if he’s going to participate. He’s not going to participate tonight or on Monday. We will see what (next Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks) looks like.”</p><p>Kidd said Thompson will not play Thursday against the Jazz or Monday against the Clippers in Los Angeles. However, the Mavs head coach did not rule out Doncic playing next Thursday against the Bucks in the team’s preseason finale.</p><p>Doncic is battling a left calf contusion. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-injury-update-jason-kidd-training-camp">Mavericks do not seem to be overly concerned about the injury</a>, but they are understandably proceeding with caution in the preseason.</p><h2><b>Mavericks’ Luka Doncic could play in preseason</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Luka-Doncic-dribbles-a-basketball-during-Mavericks-Media-Day.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-calf-injury-training-camp">Doncic suffered the calf injury before training camp</a>. The initial news had Mavs fans concerned, but fortunately this does not seem to be a serious issue. Still, the team is certainly monitoring the situation closely.</p><p>Doncic will not play in the preseason finale if any setback occurs. Even if a setback doesn’t occur, there are no guarantees that the star will take the floor to conclude the preseason. The Mavs’ primary focus is ensuring that Doncic is ready to go for October 24, as that date represents Dallas’ first game of the regular season.</p><p>For now, the Mavericks are trying to defeat the Jazz on Thursday night. Dallas is 0-1 so far in the preseason.</p><p>We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Luka Doncic’s injury status as they are made available.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Jason Kidd doesn’t rule out Luka Doncic playing in preseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-kyrie-irving-championship-marcus-smart');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving get championship truth bombs from Marcus Smart');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Luka-Doncic-Kyrie-Irving-get-truth-bombs-from-Marcus-Smart.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving get championship truth bombs from Marcus Smart</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-09T06:59:12-07:00">October 9th, 6:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-09T07:04:28-07:00">October 9th, 7:04am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Exclusive</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-dallas-nba-preseason-jaden-hardy-jazian-gortman">Dallas Mavericks were defeated 121-116 in their preseason opener</a> against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. The morning before the game, however, Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart took some time to speak with ClutchPoints after Memphis’ shoot-around. Smart addressed a number of topics, including Kyrie Irving’s fit with the Mavs and Luka Doncic’s career progression.</p><h2><b>Marcus Smart explains “advantage” of having Kyrie Irving on the Mavericks roster</b></h2><p>Smart, who has played in the NBA since the 2014-15 season, is quite familiar with Irving’s game. He has seen the guard play with different teams and was impressed by Kyrie’s first full season with the Mavs.</p><p>“I thought it was great,” Smart told ClutchPoints of Irving’s first full season in Dallas. “I mean… Coming to Dallas nobody was expecting them to do what they did in the fashion that they did it. That shows a lot. Kai (Irving) came in and was a part of that process to get them there. Obviously you got Luka and those other guys, but to have Kai there is just a big advantage for them to help them get over that hump and get them to the next level. And that’s what they did… They didn’t win (a championship), but they got there. They figured out what it takes.”</p><p>Smart’s comments will increase the confidence of Mavericks fans. He clearly took notice of Dallas’ postseason run and believes the Mavs “figured out what it takes” to get the job done in the postseason.</p><h2><b>Luka Doncic’s career progression gets Marcus Smart admission</b></h2><p>Doncic has emerged as one of the best players in the NBA. He is a consistent MVP candidate. Although he has yet to win the award, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2024-25-nba-media-poll-mvp-luka-doncic-shai-gilgeous-alexander-dethrone-nikola-jokic">Doncic is the favorite heading into the 2024-25 season</a>.</p><p>Smart said Doncic has “demanded” the league. The Grizzlies guard also explained how he played against a “16-year-old” Doncic, so Smart has truly seen Luka’s progression over the years.</p><p>“Oh man, just the way he’s came and demanded the league,” Smart said. “I actually had the opportunity to play against Luka when he was 16. We went to Milan and he was on the Milan team. You know, at the time, you see him, he’s a 16-year-old kid. Doesn’t look how he looks now. You see him now, it’s like that’s not the same 16-year-old kid. But Luka is a great player, we all know that. We all know what he has been doing and can do in this league. His progression… He’s taking even bigger steps.”</p><h2><b>Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving looking to lead Mavericks to championship</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Luka-Doncic-and-Kyrie-Irving-celebrate-during-2024-NBA-playoffs.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Doncic and Irving are one of the best duos in the entire NBA. They have a legitimate argument to be referred to as the best duo in the entire league. Winning a championship would go a long way toward earning that title, though.</p><p>The Mavericks have high expectations for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign. Dallas added Klay Thompson and upgraded the roster depth around the stars. The Mavs are fresh off an NBA Finals appearance despite finishing as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference last year.</p><p>Dallas should be able to take a step forward and finish with a better record in the regular season. As a result, the Mavs could end up being a top three seed in the West, which would obviously benefit a potential NBA Finals run.</p><p>At the moment, Doncic, Irving and the Mavericks are focused on the NBA preseason and preparing for the new season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving get championship truth bombs from Marcus Smart

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/2024-25-nba-media-poll-mvp-luka-doncic-shai-gilgeous-alexander-dethrone-nikola-jokic');   ga('set', 'title', '2024-25 NBA Media Poll: Will Luka Doncic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dethrone Nikola Jokic for MVP?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Will-Luka-Doncic-or-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-dethrone-Nikola-Jokic-for-MVP.jpg"></figure><h1>2024-25 NBA Media Poll: Will Luka Doncic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dethrone Nikola Jokic for MVP?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T09:14:40-07:00">October 8th, 9:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T09:14:40-07:00">October 8th, 9:14am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nikola Jokic has claimed three of the last four NBA MVP awards. If it wasn’t for Joel Embiid during the 2022-23 season, Jokic would have four straight MVP awards. The Denver Nuggets superstar has undoubtedly been the <a href="https://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/the-statistics-of-nikola-jokics-mvp-caliber-season" rel="noopener">best player</a> in the league, but the 2023-24 season proved that there are other superstars on the verge of capturing their first MVP honors like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and even Jalen Brunson.</p><p>Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the race for the MVP award is as wide open as it has been in quite some time. The main reason this is such a wide open race in the preseason is due to the fact that each candidate brings a unique angle to the table.</p><p>For Jokic, he is the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-reached-larry-bird-magic-johnson-status-bill-simmons">most dominant player in the world</a> and has earned the MVP award numerous times. However, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the 1-seed in the Western Conference last year and have proven to be legitimate championship contenders. There is then Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, who are coming off a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals. Perhaps Brunson or another name will also emerge in the MVP race, similar to what happened with Gilgeous-Alexander last year.</p><p>There is so much talent across the NBA right now, making for excellent competition and award races. That is why it is extremely hard to predict who will win the 2024-25 NBA Most Valuable Player award.</p><p>Although nobody has the answer to who will receive the league’s highest honor in 2025, a total of 30 different media members across the NBA, some of whom are official NBA voters, participated in ClutchPoints’ preseason media poll. Along with being asked about their predictions for the 2025 NBA Finals and how the season as a whole will play out, these media members were asked the tough question of naming their early pick for MVP.</p><p>While the voting was close, the media chose a clear favorite for the 2024-25 MVP award.</p><h2><b>ClutchPoints’ 2024-25 NBA Most Valuable Player media poll results</b></h2><p><b>1. Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) – 46.7%</b></p><p>2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) – 33.3%</p><p>T3. Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – 6.7%</p><p>T3. Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks) – 6.7%</p><p><i>Others receiving votes: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL), Ja Morant (MEM)</i></p><h2><b>Luka Doncic vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-defends-Luka-Doncic.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Both Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander received consideration for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-2023-24-nba-mvp">2023-24 NBA MVP award</a>. While Jokic won the award with 79 first-place votes, the Thunder guard made a name for himself by finishing second with 15 first-place votes. Doncic got only four first-place votes despite his near triple-double season.</p><p>No matter how you look at these two players, there is no argument against them being the favorites for the MVP award this upcoming season. With just two weeks until the 2024-25 regular season begins, NBA media members are projecting Doncic to beat out Gilgeous-Alexander and claim his first MVP award. In fact, Doncic received just under half of the total preseason votes that were cast.</p><p>The Mavs had a special season last year, as they made it all the way to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Of course, Doncic was the main reason for his team’s success, as the Slovenian star averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from three-point range. Luka led the league in scoring for the first time in his career, and he registered 49 double-doubles in 70 total games, the most by a non-frontcourt player.</p><p>Now that Klay Thompson is in Dallas, Doncic’s job is only set to get easier, as the Mavericks have even more offensive firepower for the MVP frontrunner to play around with.</p><p>On the flip side of things, Gilgeous-Alexander is set to pick up right where he left off. Now, the young guard has a chip on his shoulder and is ready to take the next step after the Thunder lost to Doncic’s Mavs in the second round of the playoffs despite earning the 1-seed in the West. OKC has only gotten better by signing Isaiah Hartenstein and trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso.</p><p>In a total of 75 games last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the floor. He finished second behind Doncic in total points scored (2,254) and fourth in field goals made (796). It is worth noting that SGA was tied with De’Aaron Fox for the most steals (150) and steals per game (2.0) in the league.</p><p>The only difference between Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander is that while the Mavs star is an all-around offensive and triple-double threat, Gilgeous-Alexander is a two-way threat. Should these two be battling for MVP late in the season, the vote could realistically come down to which team finishes with a better record.</p><h2><b>Nikola Jokic, Jalen Brunson viewed as dark-horse MVP candidates</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Nuggets-center-Nikola-Jokic-15-reacts-after-a-play.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>We can’t forget about the other superstar talents around the league who are vying for the MVP award ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. Jokic is obviously going to be in the running for the award as long as he is healthy, and Brunson is once again going to play the role of the underdog in this race. However, a lot more attention is being given to Brunson and the New York Knicks right now after all of the major moves they made this offseason.</p><p>In addition to bringing back OG Anunoby on a big contract, the Knicks acquired both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in their hunt for a title. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-karl-anthony-towns-trade-helps-knicks-timberwolves-hornets">Knicks essentially look like a make-believe roster</a> on NBA 2K right now since their roster is filled with firepower and talent. Towns, Bridges, Anunoby, and Josh Hart are all the types of players who can thrive off the ball on offense next to Brunson, which is why the overwhelming belief about the Knicks entering the new season is that they have what it takes to possibly take down the Boston Celtics.</p><p>Outside of all the noise surrounding Towns and Bridges, many tend to overlook the numbers Brunson put up last year. Only missing five total games, Brunson averaged 28.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor and 40.1 percent from three-point range. Brunson’s career high in scoring is a testament to his ability to thrive in isolation and pick-and-roll sets. It is not hard to say that Brunson is one of the best when it comes to utilizing screens to get to his spots in the mid-range area, where he can often times also draw fouls.</p><p>A 50-win season and possibly taking the top spot in the Eastern Conference over the Celtics would 100 percent result in Brunson taking home the MVP award.</p><p>The big question about the MVP race entering the 2024-25 season is whether or not Jokic can do the unthinkable and claim his fourth award in a five-year span. Only LeBron James and Bill Russell ever achieved such a feat.</p><p>At this point, there could absolutely be some voter fatigue that catches up with Jokic. That is what happened when Jokic didn’t receive as many votes as he probably should’ve for the award during the 2022-23 season.</p><p>What else could Jokic truly do in order to separate himself from the rest of the players in this award race? While Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Brunson continue to improve and help their team reach new heights, Jokic is simply continuing to be great. It will be very interesting to see how his constant MVP numbers stack up with the improvements of others.</p><p>No matter what, these are the four players who will be associated with the 2024-25 NBA MVP award race. Buckle up, because it should be a good one.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 NBA Media Poll: Will Luka Doncic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dethrone Nikola Jokic for MVP?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-kyrie-irving-klay-thompson-dallas-preseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson are out for Mavericks’ preseason opener');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Why-Luka-Doncic-Kyrie-Irving-Klay-Thompson-are-out-for-preseason-opener.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson are out for Mavericks’ preseason opener</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-07T11:05:30-07:00">October 7th, 11:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-07T11:05:30-07:00">October 7th, 11:05am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks will host the Memphis Grizzlies in their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-memphis-not-going-vanilla-preseason-opener-mavericks">preseason opener on Monday night</a>. However, Dallas will be without a number of impactful players. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson are <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1843335877730414802" rel="noopener">among the players who will not see any action on Monday evening</a>. PJ Washington, Dante Exum, Maxi Kleber, Brandon Williams and Kessler Edwards also will not play in the game.</p><p>So why are these players not playing in the preseason opener?</p><h2><b>Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson out for rest</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jason-Kidd.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Mavs announced that Irving and Thompson will not play due to “rest.” Many teams don’t place their stars in the lineup early in the preseason, and that seems to be the case here.</p><p>Mavericks fans are excited to see Thompson make his debut with the team. In fact, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-klay-thompson-dallas-naji-marshall">Thompson even received “we want Klay” chants</a> from fans during the Mavericks’ Fan Jam on Sunday.</p><p>However, fans will have to wait to see Thompson, as well as Irving, play in the preseason until at least Thursday.</p><h2><b>Luka Doncic among Mavericks dealing with injuries</b></h2><p>The Mavs also shared a number of injury updates on Monday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-calf-injury-training-camp">Luka Doncic is battling a left calf contusion</a> so he won’t play on Monday. Doncic suffered the injury before training camp and he was not expected to play in the preseason opener.</p><p>PJ Washington is dealing with left hip tightness. Washington’s absence means that four starters will not play in the game.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-dante-exum-injury-nba-preseason">Dante Exum suffered a potentially serious wrist injury</a> during training camp. His injury timeline is uncertain the moment.</p><p>Maxi Kleber (left ankle sprain), Brandon Williams (right calf strain) and Kessler Edwards (left ankle sprain) are also dealing with injuries. The Mavericks injuries will be worth closely monitoring ahead of the regular season. Dallas will proceed with caution as the preseason continues.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson are out for Mavericks’ preseason opener

Andrew Wiggins

Danny Green

Iman Shumpert

Jaylen Brown

Luka Dončić

Bradley Beal

Kelly Oubre Jr.

Victor Oladipo

De'Aaron Fox

Marc Gasol

1x All Star

4x All-NBA

2019-20 All-NBA

3x All Star

2018-19 ROY

2x All Star

2018-19 All-Rookie

3x All-NBA

2x All-NBA

4x All Star

5x All Star

2023-24 Scoring Champ

5x All-NBA

2023-24 WCF MVP

Dallas Mavericks

Career

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1634309546238701571/

Q&A from @PlayOverwatch: If you were a hero in Overwatch, what role would you be and why? #Overwatch2_Partner 

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1628145788974149635/

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1626773028704243714/

Thankful to be playing in my 4th #NBAAllStar Game. Big 🙏 to my fans for voting. 

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1612579253874470912/

IT'S GAMEDAY #gofrogs #CFBPlayoff @TCUFootball @TCU_Athletics @Big12Conference 

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1609391985776795649/

Thank you for an amazing year!! Hvala 🙏#2022Recap 

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1609208832747503616/

🎯  Watch the full video w/@DudePerfect on YouTube! 

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1607471809691099136/

Q&A from @PlayOverwatch: Who do you main in #Overwatch2 ?? #Overwatch2_Partner 

https://twitter.com/luka7doncic/status/1604907530651664395/

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
33.9	9.2	9.8	0.5	1.4

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
33.9	9.2	9.8	0.5	1.4

Luka
Dončić

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2024-25 NBA Media Poll: Will Luka Doncic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dethrone Nikola Jokic for MVP?

Why Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson are out for Mavericks’ preseason opener

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