Before tip-off against the Mavericks on Thursday, Lakers coach JJ Redick had a revealing chat with the media. As the last press conference before All-Star weekend, Redick provided some key updates on the status of several players, starting with Luka Doncic. While his status for Sunday remains uncertain, Redick confirmed that he expects All-Star guard back this extended break.
“He’s progressed really well,” said Redick, via Spectrum SportsNet. “Part of him wanted to push to get back prior to the break, but we gotta be cautious with the soft-tissue injuries. Obviously, we were cautious with Austin, and you just saw what happened with Jalen William coming back. So we all feel comfortable with the decision to hold him out, and he should be good to post All-Star.”
Doncic, 26, has missed the past four games with a hamstring strain. While it’s only described as a minor setback, the Lakers don’t want to risk a follow-up injury. As his rehab reaches the final stages, optimism is strong that he will be healthy by next Friday’s game against the Clippers. According to Redick, it’s a similar situation with Deandre Ayton, who was also out of action tonight.
“[Deandre Ayton] is out,” Redick added. “He’ll get the proper care over break, and hopefully he’ll be back as well. He’s gotten imaging, and everything’s clear.”
The Lakers have been dealing with injury issues all season, so this routine isn’t entirely new. Still, at 32-21, it hasn’t been easy to stay afloat amid all these setbacks, and Redick believes they have responded well to the adversity.
“Through the nature of this, there are always gonna be opportunities to respond to poor games, to failure. There are opportunities to respond to good stretches and not get complacent,” said Redick. “So, I think the group has responded to all of the challenges the season has presented in a really good way.”
The Lakers were once as high as second in the West this season before several major factors pulled them down to sixth. Besides injuries, a lack of shooting, poor defense, and inconsistent effort have limited the Lakers’ effectiveness, but they keep finding ways to stay competitive regardless.
Now that the All-Star break is here, however, time is running out to iron out the kinks. With the playoffs on the horizon, this team needs to come together and develop a gameplan that will maximize its roster. Of course, success also requires full availability from guys like Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Deandre Ayton. As it stands, the Lakers still have a lot to prove, but only a fool would count them out as presently constructed.
