As Lakers Prepare for Rockets Series, Luka Dončić's Status Remains a Mystery

The Los Angeles Lakers have no update on injured guard Luka Doncic as their first playoff game approaches. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Luka Dončić is still not with the Lakers as they prepare to face the Rockets in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

On Tuesday, L.A. coach JJ Redick said he didn’t have any update on Dončić or fellow star guard Austin Reaves. It is unknown when either player will be ready to return from injury.

“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick said. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely.”

Reaves has a Grade 2 left oblique strain and his recover is expected to take four to six weeks. He was at the team’s facility on Tuesday shooting free throws.

Dončić has been in Spain receiving multiple injections on his left hamstring strain in an effort to speed up his recovery timetable. He’ll be back in L.A. on Friday to join the Lakers for Game 1 of their series against the Rockets.

With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves still out, the onus will be on LeBron James to guide the Lakers against the Rockets. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With Dončić sidelined, LeBron James will need to shoulder much of the team’s offensive load. James was the Western Conference offensive player of the week to end the season after averaging 24.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 3.0 steals in three victories over the Warriors, Suns and Jazz. The 41-year-old shot 56.3% from the field and 50.0% from three-point range.

Dončić and Reaves were the team's leading scorers on the season, averaging a combined 56.8 points per game, which is 48.8% of the team's per-game average. James, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard and Jake LaRavia will be expected to provide most of the team’s offensive punch, and each needs to step up in the absence of L.A.'s top guards.

Kennard and Hachimura have been outstanding from deep this season. The former is hitting 44.8% from beyond the arc on 3.0 attempts in his 32 games with the Lakers since arriving at the trade deadline, while the latter has nailed 44.3% on 3.9 attempts in 68 games. They will need to light up the Rockets if L.A. wants to survive the opening round.

Luka Dončić’s numbers will be tough to replace

Dončić led the NBA in scoring this season at 33.5 points per game. He was third in assists (8.3), forth in PER (27.9) and box plus/minus (9.3) and averaged 7.7 rebounds per game. He was even better late in the season.

From February 26 through March 31, Dončić played in 18 games and averaged 37.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He hit 59.0% of his shots from the field and 40.2% from three-point range. The Lakers went 15-3 in those games. His run was so impressive that Dončić actually made noise in an MVP race that was previously considered a mere formality for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Redick has built his team’s offense around Dončić and switching back to a James-centered system will be a bit of whiplash for everyone involved. The 41-year-old head coach will need to do the best job of his young career over the next week.

We’ll see what the Lakers can draw up with Dončić and Reaves out.

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