Lakers' JJ Redick Reveals Extent of Luka Doncic Injury

Ahead of Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors, where Doncic was already ruled out, head coach JJ Redick provided an update on the status of his superstar guard.

"He's got a mild hamstring strain," Redick said of Doncic's injury. "He'll be out tonight, and then day to day moving forward."

Given that hamstring injuries can be tricky and can result in significant missed time for players, Redick's update on Doncic is promising. Doncic has dealt with a few ailments during his first full season with the Lakers, but when healthy, he's been playing at an MVP-caliber level for his new squad while leading the league in scoring at 32.8 points per game.

With Doncic set to miss Saturday's game against the Warriors, Austin Reaves, who has only just returned from a 19-game absence due to a calf strain, will try to shoulder the scoring load, which he did pretty well in the win against Philadelphia.

Much like Doncic, Reaves is having a career year in Los Angeles and picked up the slack once his superstar teammate went down on Thursday, scoring a game-high 35 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Even though Reaves is still on a minutes restriction, he can light up the scoreboard when on the floor, which might be enough to keep the Lakers winning games in Doncic's absence.

Austin Reaves Having a Career Year With Lakers

Reaves is averaging career-high numbers in points (26.5), rebounds (5.2) and assists (5.9), and made a strong case to be named an All-Star before the calf strain he suffered on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets. 

Fortunately, the injury doesn't appear to be lingering or bothering Reaves, as he looked back to form in his first game after missing five weeks. That's obviously a great sign for Redick and his coaching staff, as they may have to lean on the 27-year-old and LeBron James for the next few games, depending on when Doncic will be able to return.