What happened to Luka Doncic? Latest injury update as Mavericks star set to be on sidelines for long

After missing time over the weekend due to a knee injury, Luka Doncic finds himself on the sidelines again. Reports emerged Thursday morning that the superstar guard is going to miss time due to a new ailment.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Doncic has suffered a right wrist strain and is expected to miss a handful of games. As of now, no full timeline has been provided. The Dallas Mavericks are set to re-evaluate Doncic in one week and move forward from there.

The last time Luka Doncic was in action was Tuesday night in a blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He logged 29 minutes and finished with 26 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Losing Doncic is a tough blow for the Mavericks as they attempt to stay competitive in a stacked Western Conference. They are currently tied for 10th place with an 8-7 record. Dallas will be back in action again on Friday night to take on the Denver Nuggets in NBA Cup action.

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How have the Mavericks performed without Luka Doncic this season?

With Luka Doncic not getting re-evaluated for a week, the Mavericks have to prepare to be without him for at least their next four games. Following Friday's matchup, they have a back-to-back against the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, followed by a meeting with the New York Knicks.

So far this season, the Mavericks have only had to play without Doncic on one occasion. That came last weekend against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder. Despite being without their best player, they still managed to take down the team with the most wins in the Western Conference.

When a player like Luka Doncic is out, one player cannot fill the void he leaves. It takes a team effort, which is exactly what the Mavs did against the Thunder. Kyrie Irving and PJ Washington led the charge, but it was the production up and down the roster that led them to victory.

In that game, seven different Mavericks players finished in double figures. If they are going to stay afloat without Doncic, this is how they'll need to play moving forward.

Looking at the supporting cast, one player who will have to step up in a big way is Klay Thompson. He struggled against the Thunder, but Dallas is going to need him to play well in this stretch without Doncic.

For the season, Thompson is averaging 14.0 points on 37.0% shooting from beyond the arc. His best outing came against his former team, the Golden State Warriors. In his return to Chase Center, Thompson drained six threes en route to tying a season-high with 22 points.

As former All-Stars and champions, Irving and Thompson have to lead the Mavs as they navigate being without Doncic.