The Lakers are also extremely shorthanded tonight as they are set to face the severely depleted Warriors without four of their key players, including their star guards Luka Doncic (grade 2 hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (grade 2 oblique muscle strain).
JJ Redick spoke to the media before the game and gave an optimistic update on Luka Doncic and shared the positive impact of having Reaves around with the team, even when he is recovering from injury and not playing.
The Lakers’ head coach revealed that he has daily check-ins with both Doncic and Reaves. He spoke to Doncic last night before the Lakers got on their plane and said he was still in “relatively good spirits” as he attacks his rehab.
“Redick said it’s been hard for Doncic to be away from the team now, but it’s been good for Reaves to be with the team. They view the opportunity to extend the season as a “carrot” for the team with the potential to get Doncic and Reaves back,” wrote Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Times on X.
There is no fixed timeline on when Doncic is expected to return, but the Lakers are hoping to have him back as early as the first round itself. His timeline for return was expected to be cut short as a result of heading to Spain for an unconventional treatment, but it depends on how well his body responds to it.
Some doctors have suggested that the Slovenian superstar did not have to go all the way to Europe to get treatment for something that can be fixed with an amniotic tissue, which is apparently available in the United States. But I am sure the Lakers considered all of their options before deciding to send the Slovenian star to Spain.
Meanwhile, Reaves is not expected to return in the first round and might be back if the Lakers manage to qualify for the second round of the playoffs. Having him around is good for the spirits of the team, but there is no expectation of an acceleration in his timeline for return.
Lakers HC Gives An Update On Marcus Smart And Jaxson Hayes
Among his injury updates before tonight’s matchup, JJ Redick also spoke about Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) and Jaxson Hayes (left foot soreness), both of whom are set to miss tonight’s fixture against the Warriors.
Jaxson Hayes is still on a day-to-day status, but the Lakers are hopeful Marcus Smart could play Friday against the Suns. Smart had another on-court workout on Thursday morning, but was scratched after the final workouts.
Marcus Smart was downgraded to out in the final report after initially being listed as questionable to return for tonight. This will be his ninth consecutive missed game in a crucial stretch for the Lakers.
The Lakers are currently at risk of falling to the fifth seed and losing home-court advantage in the playoffs. While Redick has admitted that seeding is no longer a concern for the team, it could be detrimental in deciding what chances the Lakers have of qualifying for the second round and potentially having a fully healthy roster in the playoffs.
They might say they are not worried about having home-court advantage, but the stars will seriously need to align in their favor if the Lakers hope to go beyond the first round without both their primary scoring options and without having home-court advantage to get them a favorable atmosphere to play in.
Hence, the Lakers’ fans are certainly on the edge of their seats in anticipation of how the team manages its crisis.
