Luka Doncic’s injury has 3 possible silver linings for the Mavericks

What if Luka Doncic’s injury makes the Dallas Mavericks scarier by the playoffs? It’s a possibility. The Mavs will sorely miss their 20-year-old MVP candidate for however long he takes to heal from a sprained ankle, but in his absence comes opportunity for Kristaps Porzingis, and an assortment of role-players ready to step up. It’s a wake-up call for a team led by an ace with an absurd 37 percent usage rate.

Luckily, Doncic’s injury isn’t that serious. He’ll be back — maybe even before the end of the calendar year — so head coach Rick Carlisle can breathe, and assess what he has. It’s time to put the ball in the hands of guys who don’t usually see it as much, and start looking for the right combinations to play when Doncic sits, or when he struggles.

So far, so good. In the Mavs’ first game without their prodigy, they knocked off the hottest team in the NBA. A 120-116 win against Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks snapped their 18-game win streak, and showed all the signs of growth the team can hope for with Doncic out. Giannis’ 48 points didn’t even matter. But that’s just the start. There’s probably two more weeks at the least that Dallas will play without its All-NBA phenom.

So what can the Mavs hope to see over the next stretch of games without Doncic?

Twenty-five games into his 2019-20 season, the Mavs haven’t got what they’re paying for out of Porzingis, who is just returning from a torn ACL. He’s scored just 17 points on a career-worst 40 percent shooting from the field and just 34 percent from deep. He’s been just another contributor — albeit a 7’2 one — yet he’s paid to be Doncic’s second star. Dallas needs both at full strength if it hopes to knock off the Lakers, Clippers, Rockets or any other team in the top portion of the west

Against the Bucks, Porzingis found his range again, knocking down 4-of-8 three-point shots, including a 29- and 30-footer. The unicorn looked like what we were accustomed to pre-injury, finding success in the low post and off shot-fakes and drives, too. He was an overwhelming threat from everywhere, finishing with 26 points on 19 shots with 12 rebounds.

That’s the max contract form of Porzingis who’ll push the Mavs into the next echelon of contenders. He’ll remain the focal point of everything Dallas does, for now.

Brunson is the next-best playmaker behind Doncic, and his growth as a facilitator will only unlock the rest of the depth’s shooting potential. The 6’ guard is really important for how the Mavs will fair in non-Luka minutes. Now, he has his spotlight to work Dallas’ offense into his own vision.

On the year, Brunson’s shooting 49 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep. He averages three assists to just one turnover, taking a significant backseat to the genius Doncic orchestrates. But the Villanova prospect is plenty capable, and he can prove that in the coming weeks. Against the Bucks, he had 13 points on nine shots, but more importantly, 11 assists to just two turnovers.

It’s only his second year in the league, but the 23-year-old is older than Dallas’ top players. The backup guard has a lot of pressure to develop quickly. So far, he’s taken the leap, and he’ll continue to be tested as the lead guard with the Wonderboy out.

The Mavs’ bench runs deep, giving Carlisle an ample choice of let-it-shoot wings who space the floor. The hot hand typically wins out given how comparable Maxi Kleber, Seth Curry, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Justin Jackson can be at their best. Who thrives without Doncic on the floor is the question.

Playing with Doncic can feel pretty simple watching these guys. Cut to the rim, and Luka will find you. Stand in the corner, and Luka will rocket a dime to your shooting pocket. Stand around and do nothing? Luka will probably be ok.

Without him, the floor shrinks. Defenders stay tighter to their man with no need to double a do-it-all. Some nights, Brunson will be the answer. Others, the wings might need to create their own offense.

Against Milwaukee, it was Curry who came to life. He scored 26 points on 15 shots, including 4-of-8 threes with five rebounds and four assists. Some shots came over a lurking Giannis, but a healthy amount were self-created off-the-dribble.

Can he do this consistently? Or if not, can one of the other three pick up on nights he’s off? How these contributors play on their own matters

The season is young, and Doncic is coming back. This is fun test run for a team that probably can’t fall out of the top six in the west save for major injuries.

Doncic has been superhuman in the opening two months of the season, making all of his colleague’s lives pretty damn easy, but that won’t always be the case. It’s unfair to expect that from a kid who’s likely to make his first playoff appearance.

In April and May, Doncic is going to be thrown more intricate defensive schemes to dribble his way out from. They’ll be tailor-made to force him into whatever weaknesses he may have, and the rest of the Mavs will need to be ready. With the kid off the floor, they’re getting their first chance to figure out how.

Next up is a gauntlet of a week-plus, against the Celtics, then Sixers and Raptors. The rest of the Mavs are getting thrown right into it — and that’s not such a bad thing.