On January 13, Beijing time, the Mavericks hosted the Nuggets, and Doncic continued to miss the game due to a calf injury. It was the 17th game he missed this season, and in addition, he played just 16 minutes and 13 seconds (less than 20 minutes) in one game. This means that he has officially missed the regular season awards such as MVP and All-NBA this season.

NBA officials stipulate that all players participating in the awards must play at least 65 games, playing at least 20 minutes in each game, otherwise they will not be eligible to participate in the regular season awards.

So far this season, Doncic has played in 22 games, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2 steals per game, and he has been selected to the best team for five consecutive years.

There are already a number of stars who have not qualified for the award this season, including Kawhi Leonard, Embiid, Zion, Banchero and Holmgren. Mavericks coach Kidd said: "I think it's just part of the rules right now. When you have a serious injury, you can be disqualified, but we know he's one of the best players. He has always been considered an MVP candidate. ”

In the year-end game against the Timberwolves, Doncic walked off the court on crutches and underwent an MRI the next day, which showed a strained left calf. He will be re-evaluated at the end of January, and Doncic has had a lot of injuries this season, having missed five games with a sprained right wrist, two games with a left heel contusion and one with a knee contusion. He also missed the entire training camp and preseason with a left calf contusion.

Doncic returned to the gym yesterday for an individual spot-up shooting session with assistant coach Marco Milic. Kidd was encouraged by his progress. "It's great to see him shoot from a spot," Kidd said, "and he's worked really and off the court, and hopefully he'll get back on the court soon."

Despite missing out on award accolades this season, Doncic is still eligible to sign a supermax contract extension with the Mavericks in the offseason, as he was named to the All-NBA team in both 2023 and 2024.