Lakers PG Luka Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that forced him to miss the final games of the regular season. But will the Los Angeles Lakers All-Star be back for the Playoffs?
Short answer: Doncic will probably not return for the NBA Playoffs first round, but the second round — the Western Conference Semifinals — is the target, if the Lakers make it through.
Here’s the latest Luka Doncic injury update and the expected timeline for his return to the court.
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Luka Doncic Injury Timeline for NBA Playoffs
Doncic suffered his hamstring injury on April 2 vs. the Thunder; he tweaked it in the first half, but later aggravated it in the third quarter, going down in pain and ruled out for the rest of the game.
The following day, the Lakers announced that Doncic would miss the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Doncic was on a heater in March, winning NBA Player of the Month, averaging 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, leading the Lakers to a 14-2 record.
This is Doncic’s same left hamstring that he dealt with an injury on in February, when he exited a game vs. the 76ers and missed several games — a major cause for concern.
The injury typically requires a month-long recovery process, which would put him out for all of April. That’s why Doncic traveled to Spain earlier this week to receive specialized treatment on his hamstring, hoping to expedite the return.
Will Luka Doncic Be Back for the NBA Playoffs?
All signs point to be Doncic being back for the Playoffs if the Lakers can make it past the first round. However, if the Lakers play a six or seven game series in the first round, Doncic may be able to make his return in the opening series.
According to Dr. Jesse Morse above, Doncic has a “very good chance” to play in 3-to-4 weeks — that was posted on April 5. The first round begins on April 18; that means at earliest Doncic could return late in the Lakers’ first round matchup.
However, with the Conference Semifinals scheduled for May 4-5 (or 2-3 if the first round ends early), Doncic should be ready to go.
There is no official word from the Lakers, but on the negative end of things, LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul said that Doncic’s recovery is “trending to be a lot longer than Austin [Reeves].” Reeves sat out for the end of the regular season; his recovery is expected to take 4-to-6 weeks.
Can Lakers Win in the First Round Without Luka?
The Lakers are set to face the Houston Rockets or Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, depending on Sunday’s results. Despite being locked into the No. 4 seed in the West with home court in the first round, the Lakers have the sixth-highest implied probability to win the conference, with a 22.22x payout to win the West on PrizePicks.
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The Lakers are just 9-8 without Luka Doncic this season, including the 123-87 loss to the Thunder in the recent game he went down, according to Statmuse. Only two of those wins have come vs. NBA Playoff teams; three more games were vs. Play-In teams.
With Raves also expected to miss the start of the playoffs, the Lakers will have to rely on 41-year-old LeBron James to lead through the start of the playoffs.
Recent performances from the Lakers are hard to judge, as many teams are either tanking for better draft spots, but James may be able to keep them in contention, averaging 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 10.0 assists through April — all higher than his season averages.
Coach JJ Redick has said the team plans to use "ball handling by committee" and lean on Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard for more offensive responsibility, rather than putting the entire burden on LeBron.
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Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both likely to miss most — if not all — of the NBA Playoffs first round, putting the Lakers in a tough spot to open the playoffs.
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