Lakers Must Avoid This Critical Luka Dončić Mistake

Shams Charania revealed on Friday that Doncic sustained a grade II hamstring strain. That means he suffered a partial tear of the muscle. Recovery for these injuries usually takes 3 to 6 weeks. The playoffs begin on April 18th, so he looks set to miss at least the first round. On Saturday, Dave McMenamin revealed that his long-term running mate Austin Reaves will miss the next 4 to 6 weeks with a grade II left oblique muscle injury. That leaves the team without two 21+ PPG scorers and their playoff dreams hanging by the tiniest of threads. This is the first time in NBA history that a team has missed two such scorers heading into the playoffs.

A Favorable Path, If Healthy

The Lakers will face Dallas, Oklahoma City, Golden State, Phoenix, and Utah to close out the regular season. Depending on how the West pans out, the purple and gold could finish with the third, fourth, or fifth seed. That puts them in line to face either the Rockets or the Timberwolves. The Lakers have dominated the regular season series against both teams, owning a collective 5–1 record. Doncic played in five games, losing only once. He averaged 38 points, 7 assists, and 7.5 rebounds against Houston across two games in March. He averaged 40 points, 9.5 assists, and 11 rebounds across two games against Minnesota.

Lakers Run the Risk of Rushing Luka Doncic Back

The Lakers will feel tempted to rush Luka Doncic back. They must resist that urge. Otherwise, they risk aggravating his hamstring. A grade II injury can easily become a grade III tear. That would require months of recovery. Luka has maintained his physique with a strict routine this season. A long-term injury would disrupt his conditioning.

The Lakers plan to build a contender around Luka this summer. A delayed recovery would complicate that timeline. Hamstring injuries are highly recurring. They recur about 30 percent of the time. Up to 63 percent of recurrences happen within the first month. If the Lakers rush him back for the postseason, he will fall into that window. The risk is high. The reward is not worth it.

If the Lakers advance past the first round, Oklahoma City or San Antonio will likely await them. It is difficult to see them beating either team due to depth differences.

The Only Sensible Approach

The Lakers should compete at full effort without Doncic and Reaves. This season was already effectively punted by GM Rob Pelinka. Otherwise, they would not have only flipped Gabe Vincent for Luke Kennard at the deadline.