The Los Angeles Lakers have full confidence in their ability to close out this series and secure one more win against the Houston Rockets in round one.
After completing their sweep over the Suns last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder are already waiting in the next round, but the Lakers are still just worried about their own. In an update on Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that star guard Luka Doncic’s absence could extend into the next round if they beat the Rockets and advance.
“It is a slow path on the recovery front for Luka,” said Shams on SportsCenter. “The expectation is that if the Lakers are able to beat Houston and advance, Luka Doncic will be out for the next series. There’s still no timetable for him as of right now. He’s starting to do more court movement, as JJ Redick said the other day, but he is not at the point where he’s progressing in his own court work outs as far as one-on-ones and truly pushing it on a movement front.”
Doncic, 27, has been out since April 2nd with a strained hamstring. The initial timeline required multiple weeks of recovery, pushing the Slovenian star to seek out exclusive treatment in Europe. Despite optimism that he would play in this series, it seems all hope of his return has been pushed to the next round, which starts next week. While Luka is actively getting closer to full strength, he hasn’t made much progress with his on-court ramp-up. He’s still doing limited work, suggesting that his clearance is still a while off.
With averages of 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 47.6% shooting and 36.6% shooting from three, Doncic has the talent and the drive to carry his team to Finals victory, but it won’t mean much if he’s not available to make an impact on the floor. Fortunately, the Lakers have done their job by extending this series, but if they can just close it out with one final victory, it would ensure that Doncic has an opportunity to suit up once more before it’s all said and done.
Of course, the imminent return of Austin Reaves will also give the Lakers an advantage while Doncic works his way back. He’s expected back either tomorrow or in Game 6, and his return will provide a major offensive boost for the Lakers. This season, in 51 games, he’s averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 49.0% shooting and 36.0% shooting from three.
Until the stars return, the Lakers will stick to their usual formula: playing around LeBron James. Even at 41 years old, his skill set and leadership are raising the team’s ceiling, leading to overperformance amid major absences. If he can continue to deliver on both ends of the floor, it may just be enough to carry the Lakers to the second round, where a matchup against the Thunder awaits.
After going 0-4 against Oklahoma City in the regular season, the Lakers will need all hands on deck to keep up with them in the next series. That’s where Luka’s return becomes much more important, as there is no viable path to victory unless he’s leading the way. It’s been a slow recovery so far, but Luka will keep working as long as his team is still alive and fighting for their season.
