Luka Doncic advises caution regarding his return from a hamstring injury, emphasizing it's not worth risking further damage. He was initially told he would be out for eight weeks, aligning with the NBA Finals.
Key points
Luka Doncic suffered a strained hamstring.
He was advised not to rush back to play.
Doctors estimated an eight-week recovery period.
His return could coincide with the NBA Finals.
The Lakers face tough competition against the Thunder.
Luka DoncicLos Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder
An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Luka Doncic, wearing a grey jacket, with his arms outstretched among teammates in Lakers jerseys, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) falls to the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder
An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Luka Doncic, wearing a grey jacket, with his arms outstretched among teammates in Lakers jerseys, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) falls to the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder
Itâs not worth it. The Lakers canât beat the defending champion Thunder. You canât risk further injury.
Doncic spoke to the media Wednesday for the first time since suffering a strained hamstring on April 2. He said doctors initially told him heâd be sidelined eight weeks, which would coincide with the start of the NBA Finals.
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With an original timeline of 8 weeks, Lakers star Luka Doncic just passed the 4-week threshold in his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
With an original timeline of 8 weeks, Lakers star Luka Doncic just passed the 4-week threshold in his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
The Lakers desperately need Doncic, who was the leagueâs best player last month, averaging 37.5 points a game while leading the Lakers on a 16-2 run.
But itâs not worth the risk.
The Lakers are facing the reigning champion Thunder in their second-round playoff series, trailing 1-0 after losing 108-90 on Tuesday. They need offense against the teamâs historically great defense.
Doncic recently started running. Heâs not yet doing contact drills. Thereâs no timeline for his return. Game 2 on Thursday is exactly five weeks after he suffered the injury.
Lakers fans are getting impatient. Rightfully so.
Doncic is currently running but has yet to progress to 1-on-1 work and physical contact on the court. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Doncic is currently running but has yet to progress to 1-on-1 work and physical contact on the court. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
In Game 1, they watched the 41-year-old LeBron James play brilliantly, finishing with a game-high 27 points on 12-for-17 shooting, including 3-for-6 from deep. They watched Marcus Smart bottle up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 18 points and seven turnovers, his fewest points and most turnovers this season. They saw Deandre Ayton play with force, grabbing 11 rebounds.
They felt like the Lakers had a chance.
If only Austin Reaves had scored more than eight points. If only Luke Kennard wasnât 1-for-4 from the field. If only the best player on the team was on the court.
Wrestling legend Ric Flair took to X to express his frustration, tweeting, âPlease Get In The Game! Take A Shot Of Cortisone And Deal With The Pain! They Are Paying You 50 Million A Year, And Youâre Not There! WTF!â
But Lakers fans need to keep their perspective.
If Doncic returned too early, heâd greatly increase his risk of suffering a worse injury, such as an ACL tear, which can rob a player of an entire season.
No one is more upset than Doncic.
After leading the NBA in scoring, the Lakers are missing a massive piece of their puzzle with Doncicâs absence. NBAE via Getty Images
After leading the NBA in scoring, the Lakers are missing a massive piece of their puzzle with Doncicâs absence. NBAE via Getty Images
Basketball is his refuge. Amid the chaos in his personal life, itâs where he has found peace. Amid the drama in his career, itâs where he has silently fought back with an MVP-caliber campaign.
âI donât think people understand how frustrating it is,â Doncic said. âAll I wanna do is play basketball, especially [at] this time.â
But Doncic also knows he canât be shortsighted.
âItâs a tough one for me because I came back from injuries before too soon, and it wasnât the best result,â he said. âBut like I say, this is the first time I have the hamstring injury. Itâs not the same like other injuries. You have to be very careful.â
Doncic strained the same hamstring earlier this season, missing four games. But this injury was more severe.
Returning during the intensity of the playoffs against a team with one of the most suffocating defenses ever sounds like a potential recipe for disaster.
Doncic needs to err on the side of caution. He needs to prioritize his health over a quick return against a team that won all four regular-season meetings against the Lakers by an average of 29.3 points. He needs to ignore the noise.
âItâs very simple,â Redick said. âWhen heâs ready to play, he should play. That comes with the athlete having confidence. Itâs no different from Austin [Reaves].â
At this point, it would take a minor miracle for Doncic to return in time for the Western Conference semifinals vs. the Thunder. AP
At this point, it would take a minor miracle for Doncic to return in time for the Western Conference semifinals vs. the Thunder. AP
Reaves, who suffered a sprained oblique April 2, returned after a month in Game 5 of the Lakersâ first-round playoff series against the Rockets.
Howâs that going?
Over three games, he has averaged postseason career-lows in points (15) field goal percentage (30.4) and 3-point percentage (11.8%).
At least with Reaves, heâs not risking a worse injury. Heâs likely playing through pain. But heâs not putting himself in danger.
When it comes to Doncic, this is not an injury to be rushed, regardless of how tantalizing it may be to have the Lakersâ superstar on the court.
Everyone knows what the Lakers are up against right now.
âWhen you play against the world champions and [miss] having a guy that averages 34 [points] and eight [rebounds] and nine [assists] and is that special, thatâs [tough],â James said.
But itâs not worth the risk.
Doncic is doing everything he can to return, including traveling to another continent for a regenerative treatment in which he received injections of his own concentrated blood platelets to accelerate hamstring healing.
But Lakers fans need to accept reality.
Doncic may not return. He probably shouldnât return.
