The Los Angeles Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic has shifted the future of the team, which had been hoping to squeeze out one more championship with the 40-year-old LeBron James and his partnership with Anthony Davis.
With Doncic now at the center of the team, the Lakers’ future looks much brighter. They could even challenge for a championship this season if Doncic quickly gels with James. It’s more likely if the Lakers can bring in a center to replace the huge gap left by Davis.
However, any push for a championship will depend on Doncic returning to full health and making his Lakers debut.
The 25-year-old Slovenian star hasn’t played since Christmas, and his long absence has kept him from qualifying for the All-NBA team, something he’s been part of for the past five seasons.
What is Luka’s injury?
Doncic strained his left calf late in the second quarter of the Mavericks’ loss to Minnesota. The injury was serious enough that Doncic had to stay down the court while the game continued and then limped off to the locker room.
He missed the next 19 games and had only played in two games before his latest injury. Doncic had also missed the previous two games due to a bruised left heel. Since his rookie year in 2018-19, Doncic has only played 70 games in a season once.
When will Luka play?
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka mentioned that Doncic will participate in 5-on-5 practice drills on Wednesday. After that, the Lakers will work with Doncic’s personal training team to set a plan for his return.
Both Doncic and the Lakers are confident that he’ll be back in action soon, possibly before the team finishes their current four-game stretch in Los Angeles over the next week.
But Doncic has emphasized that he is taking this injury seriously, especially after rushing back from minor injuries in the past, which sometimes made things worse.
Luka Doncic speaks at the NBA basketball conference“For the first time, I took my time (to) get it to heal 100%,” Doncic said about his recovery. “Other times, I think I just wanted to go back to the court playing basketball, and I really (wouldn’t) be healthy 100%. This time I just took my time, which was the normal amount of time to get back to 100%.”
The Lakers have time to be careful since there are still 34 games left in the regular season after their game against the Clippers on Tuesday night.
“We’re going to take it one day at a time just to make sure that the calf injury is in a good and safe place,” Pelinka said. “I would truly say at this point that he’s day to day. We’re going to take it one step at a time, but if (everything) goes well and Luka feels good and confident, he’ll be in a game soon.”
What will the Lakers look like with Luka?
When Doncic is back, he’ll likely start alongside Austin Reaves in the backcourt, replacing Max Christie, who was traded with Davis to the Mavericks.
Christie entered the starting lineup on Dec. 8. Since trading D’Angelo Russell on Dec. 29, the Lakers haven’t relied much on a traditional point guard, though veteran Gabe Vincent is still in the rotation.
While James and Reaves handle much of the Lakers’ offense, Doncic will have the ball in his hands most of the time. This will likely suit James, who has expressed his desire to play off the ball more this season.
The best way to pair James and Doncic is probably in pick-and-roll situations. JJ Redick, who played with Doncic in Dallas, is likely excited about the chance to design plays for two elite playmakers and scorers.
Defensively, the Lakers will struggle without Davis protecting the rim. It will be tough for them to stop opponents, so James and Doncic may often have to outscore teams, which they’re certainly capable of doing.
