Dallas Mavericks’ All-Star Luka Doncic is set to take the court for Victor Wembanyama’s debut with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

 

Despite being listed as questionable with a left calf strain sustained on October 9, Doncic was cleared to participate in the season opener for both teams following a practice session.

His last appearance was during calf strain recovery as the Mavericks prepared for an exhibition game against Real Madrid on October 10 in Spain. During that game, Doncic was limited to just 4 minutes and 53 seconds on the court against the team he represented for three seasons in the Euroleague before joining the Mavericks in 2018.

 

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd stated that the team would monitor Doncic but has no plans to restrict his playing time.

“He’ll come out when he’s tired,” Kidd said. “We’re not going to use the word restriction. He’s going to play, and we’ll see how he goes. We’ll be in communication with him as the game goes on. He could come out early. I don’t think he will play his usual full stint, but we’ll always check and see how he’s doing, and then we’ll go from there.”

 

Doncic has also been nursing a right thigh injury since February but mentioned that it wasn’t an issue following Tuesday’s practice.

Doncic’s participation adds intrigue to the matchup, offering fans a glimpse of the initial showdown between two of the most celebrated European players of the past six seasons.

 

Wembanyama, just 19 years old, is set to make his debut after being selected as the No. 1 pick by the Spurs from France. His remarkable combination of speed and imposing height at nearly 7-foot-4 has left onlookers in awe during the preseason.