Luka Doncic's absence due to a hamstring injury significantly impacted the Lakers' playoff strategy, as he missed crucial games against the Rockets and Thunder.
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Luka Doncic was a huge absence for the Lakers throughout the postseason, leaving a major gap in their playoff plans.
After the Slovenian guard suffered a hamstring injury late in the regular season, there had been expectations around a possible return, but that was not confirmed.
Doncic missed the victorious series against the Houston Rockets and remained absent against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when Los Angeles needed another elite scorer and creator.
His return may not have made the Lakers favourites, but it would have reduced the gap and could be crucial to avoid JJ Redick’s team being swept. However, the 27-year-old remained sidelined and Kendrick Perkins delivered a harsh verdict in that regard.
Luka Doncic suffered a hamstring injury late in the regular season, which caused him to miss the playoffs.
Doncic's absence left a major gap in the Lakers' playoff plans, particularly against the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
There were expectations around a possible return for Doncic, but it was not confirmed before he missed the playoff games.
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Speaking on ESPN’s First Take this Thursday, Perkins compared Doncic’s postseason availability concerns to the long-running criticism around Joel Embiid.
The former NBA champion said: “When it matters the most, when it’s time for those 16 games, the playoffs that I’m talking about,you best believe that LeBron James is going to be available. You best believe that LeBron James is going to be healthy. I can’t say the same thing about Luka Doncic.
“Luka Doncic, for the last three years, it’s been something come postseason time, whether it’s been out of shape or him dealing with some type of injuries, and most majority of the time it comes to soft tissue injuries. So if you’re the Lakers, you have a concern there.
“Luka is a fantastic talent. We’re not going to take that away from him. He’s one of the best scorers that this game has ever seen. But when it comes to being reliable, Luka is starting to get in that territory of Joel Embiid. When you need him the most and it comes postseason time, he’s not available.”
That criticism comes with a clear message. Doncic is now assuming LeBron’s burden, after leading the league in scoring and topping the Lakers for assists.
With that power comes responsibility. If Doncic is the new centre of the Lakers’ project, his availability must match his production.
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