Luka Dončić, who led the Dallas Mavericks past the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals last spring, had to exit the teams’ Christmas matchup early. Late in the second quarter, Dončić limped off the court after suffering what the team said was a left calf strain.

Kyrie Irving’s initial reaction to a question commonly asked when Luka Doncic suffers an injury was rhetorical, but rational. If Doncic has to miss an extended period of time, how will the Dallas Mavericks be able to fare without him?