Dončić sidelined at least a week with left calf contusion

LAS VEGAS – Fans of the Dallas Mavericks will have to wait a little bit longer to get a glimpse of seeing Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson on the court at the same time.

That’s because Dončić has been ruled out of Monday’s preseason opener at American Airlines Center against the Memphis Grizzlies with a left calf contusion. Dončić sustained a hit to his calf during Tuesday’s practice at Mavs’ training camp on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Dončić will be re-evaluated in a week, and at that time it’ll be determined if he’ll play in the Oct. 10 preseason game at AAC against the Utah Jazz.

“He got hit in the calf yesterday,” coach Jason Kidd said. “So they went got an MRI and saw there was a strain.”

Dončić — a five-time All-Star — is the undisputed leader of the Mavs and one of the best players in the entire NBA. Last year he led the league in scoring (33.9), was second in assists (9.8), second in three-pointers converted per game (4.1), tied for seventh in steals (1.4), and first among all guards in rebounds (9.2).

Irving and Dončić were a huge part of the Dallas contingent that guided the Mavs to the NBA Finals last season. And when Thompson left the Golden State Warriors after 13 seasons to join the Mavs this past summer via free agency, that trio is expected to form one of the most dangerous Big 3’s in the NBA.

However, seeing how well they mesh on the court will have to wait until the issue involving Dončić’s left calf contusion is resolved.

“We’ll evaluate him in a week and see where he stands,” Kidd said. “But there’s no concern at this point about his availability. We’ll see how he feels in a week.”

KIDD, VOGEL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN: Former NBA head coach Frank Vogel has been hired by the Mavs as a consultant.

Vogel coached the Phoenix Suns to a 49-33 record last year, and they were ultimately swept by Minnesota in the opening round of the playoffs. Vogel also coached Indiana (2010-16), Orlando (2016-18) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2019-22).

“He’s part of our coaching staff – he’s a consultant for us, so he’ll be in and out,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I think he’s here until tomorrow, then he’ll be back with us in Dallas.

“I asked him if he could come on board and help us. It took a lot of begging, but he was talked into it and I’m happy he said yes.”

Kidd was an assistant on Vogel’s Laker staff from 2019-21, including when the Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble in suburban Orlando. Vogel superb coaching acumen is why Kidd wanted his former boss to be a part of the Mavs.

“You talk about one of the best coaches in the league,” Kidd said. “We know his basketball IQ is extremely high. We did win a championship in LA together.

“Being able to work for Frank was something that helped me in my coaching. So, now to have him on board with us, hopefully we can win another title together.”

BRIEFLY: A funny situation involving Mavs power forward P. J. Washington is why some things on the Internet can’t be taken seriously. For example, several reports recently stated that Washington had gotten a bit taller over the summer. Washington was listed as 6-7 last season, but some crafty reporters on the Internet said he grew so much over the summer that he’s now 6-11. But that reported height extension is shocking news to Washington, who told Mavs.com: “I wish I was that tall.” Washington laughed off the report, saying: “I saw it. I don’t know where they got that from.” After Washington walked by where interviews were being conducted following Wednesday’s practice, Mavs guard Quentin Grimes asked: “Did he look 6-11 when he was walking by? I don’t know. Y’all can take that with a grain of salt. Y’all may say I’m 6-11, too, by the end of the day.” . . . For the second day in a row, forwards Maxi Kleber and Kessler Edwards were not full participants in practice as each player is dealing with a sprained ankle. So, when will they be healthy enough to practice? “They’re a little ways away,” coach Jason Kidd said . . . As a member of the New Orleans Pelicans the past four seasons, forward Naji Marshall said he noticed how the Mavs looked like a close-knit team. Marshall said: “I liked how well, from the bench, everybody was cheering for everybody on the court and how together they were.” Marshall signed a three-year, $27 million free agent contract with the Mavs this past summer . . . Three of the Mavs’ newcomers – Klay Thompson, Grimes and Marshall – have received rave reviews from Kidd after the first two days of training camp. “Grimes has done great,” Kidd said. “You talk about Klay, his energy, he’s doing all the reps and wants to do all the reps. He’s been great. Both of those guys can shoot the ball, but they can compete on the other end, too. Naji, he’s another newcomer. His toughness. He wants to do every rep. We’ve got a lot of guys who want to not come off the floor, which is great. But those three are playing well. Hopefully, they’re picking up the system on both ends. Again, they bring a lot of depth, and also just their talent level is high. So, we’re really excited to have those three.” . . . After going through two-a-day practices on Tuesday and Wednesday during training camp in Las Vegas, the Mavs will not practice on Thursday. Also, they will have just one practice session on Friday before returning to Dallas on Saturday.

X: @DwainPrice