Rich Paul gives concerning injury recovery timeline for Lakers' Luka Doncic

Rich Paul gives concerning injury recovery timeline for Lakers' Luka Doncic originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers had one goal in mind entering the final stretch of the regular season: to finish without any significant injuries.

Unfortunately, the Lakers came up short, as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will miss the rest of the regular season due to separate injuries (Doncic- Grade 2 hamstring, Reaves- Grade 2 oblique injury). According to LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, Doncic’s injury recovery timeline doesn’t bode well for Los Angeles.

“Luka seems to be out,” Paul said on Tuesday’s episode of the Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul podcast. “It’s trending that he’s probably going to be out a lot longer than Austin will be.”

While it’s encouraging that Paul believes Reaves won’t be out for an extended period, it’s concerning that he doesn’t like where Doncic's health is.

The Lakers’ offense runs through Doncic, and without the former Dallas Mavericks star’s pick-and-roll brilliance, methodical playmaking, late-game magic, and ability to exploit mismatches, the Lakers will have a relatively low ceiling in the playoffs.

Interestingly, Doncic, who leads the NBA in scoring (33.5 points per game), is exploring treatment in Europe to accelerate his recovery and improve his odds of returning to the hardwood this season.

If all goes well, Doncic could find himself back in the Lakers’ lineup while the franchise still has a chance to compete for a championship. If not, Los Angeles will be in serious trouble moving forward.

More NBA: Writer outlines career-ending scenario for Lakers' Bronny James