The Los Angeles Lakers convincingly made it out of the first round of the playoffs following a 4-2 series win against the Houston Rockets. It goes without saying that Austin Reaves‘ return was a welcome sight, but concerning Luka Doncic, the Purple and Gold may be forced to remain patient.
Luka Doncic’s prolonged absence from the rotation has been one of the primary talking points for the Lakers this postseason. While the fans were optimistic about the superstar’s return timeline following the victory over Houston, ESPN’s Shams Charania recently provided a discouraging update.
“I’m told right now that Luka will be out to start the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers are evaluating Doncic on a week-to-week basis with that Grade 2 hamstring strain,” Charania reported. “He’s missed about a month right now. One source told me it’s still a slow path on Doncic’s recovery. He’s doing more on the court but still not doing full-fledged running or full-contact workouts.”
As Charania mentioned, Luka Doncic has been sidelined for a little over a month after suffering a hamstring injury during the regular season. Although Doncic went to Spain ahead of the playoffs to receive special treatment to hasten his recovery, it would appear that the Slovenian hasn’t responded to it as well as hoped.
In all fairness, Doncic’s injury demands more care and attention due to the risk of re-aggravation. Still, considering the situation going into the second round, this is far from being an ideal scenario for the Lakers.
Can The Lakers Beat OKC Without Luka Doncic?
The Los Angeles Lakers went into the first round of the playoffs with a severely depleted roster, leading many to rule out their chances of beating the Houston Rockets.
Needless to say, the Lakers stunned the NBA with some inspired performances, hinting at some optimism for the next round. Unfortunately, given that they are facing the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, this may be short-lived.
Although the brilliance of players like LeBron James, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart saw the Lakers through the first round, facing the Thunder without Luka Doncic will prove challenging.
Doncic has undoubtedly been the Los Angeles Lakers’ best player this season. After an impressive physical transformation in the offseason, Doncic proved several naysayers wrong and elevated his game in the process.
While averaging a league-high 33.5 points, Luka Doncic added 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game, making him one of the most productive players in the league. Given how vital his contributions were in securing a playoff spot for the Purple and Gold, his absence has been equally felt in the latter stages of the campaign.
Although Austin Reaves’ return to the rotation will be a boost for the Lakers’ offense, especially as he gets his feet back under him after two games, the outlook for the semifinals is not much better.
OKC has dominated against L.A. this year, convincingly sweeping a healthy Lakers unit in the regular season (4-0). Given the amount of rest the Thunder have had after beating the Phoenix Suns and their overall roster strength, the Lakers’ chances are looking bleak.
