Five weeks after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Lakers' Luka Doncic expressed frustration as he works on his recovery.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic isn’t happy with having to sit on the sideline through his team’s playoff run, and he doesn’t know when the tides will turn. Five weeks after incurring a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Doncic finally spoke for the first time, opening up about his recovery and subsequent frustrations.
Since suffering the injury back on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic hasn’t played since, and of course, he’s not happy with having to sit out and watch. He has started running but hasn’t ramped up to contact drills on a “day by day” approach that left him mum about any return for Games 3-4 in Los Angeles. Initially, doctors gave him an eight-week timetable for his recovery, and he’s still in the midst of that, which would make a return in Game 3 or 4 an impressive one ahead of schedule. Doncic has worked on quickening the recovery, traveling to Spain for PRP therapy and receiving injections. However, with a history of issues to this hamstring and this injury’s heightened severity, it’s hard to surmise a comeback this soon.
To read more about Doncic’s update and what it means for LA’s hopes, here is the full story from Lakers Roundtable writer Jack Haslett.
From the Lakers’ perspective, coach JJ Redick isn’t trying to rush him, comparing it to Austin Reaves and his return from an oblique strain. But LeBron James is hoping for some reinforcements from a guy who averages 34 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists against the top defensive team in the NBA. Doncic is behind his teammates who have silenced a lot of doubters through the postseason, but the ceiling for the franchise without their top star remains unclear.