Luka Doncic’s injury situation is not looking good for Lakers

Luka Doncic continues to recover from a Grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered during an NBA regular-season game on April 2. He missed the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, but the Los Angeles Lakers were able to advance to the Western Conference semifinals by winning 4-2.

The team will need to continue playing without the six-time All-Star, as he is being evaluated on a week-to-week basis, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Sunday. The senior NBA insider stressed that Doncic recovery has been on a “slow path.”

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“I’m told right now that Luka Doncic will be out to start the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder,” Charania said on Inside the NBA. “The Lakers are evaluating Doncic on a week-to-week basis with that Grade 2 hamstring strain. One source told me in the last few days (that) it’s still a slow path on Doncic’s recovery. He’s doing more and more on the court, but right now still not full-fledged running or full-contact workouts.”

Lakers need committee approach

Doncic has appeared in 64 games this season, averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals. His absence will be felt even more against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have a plethora of scorers.

Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura will be relied upon heavily by Lakers head coach JJ Redick to support LeBron James on both sides of the floor. The Slovenian star’s production is hard to replicate, and more than one player will need to step up. Reaves returned to action in Game 5 and played a big role in helping his team advance to the next round.

Oklahoma City swept the No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns and has not played since Wednesday. The extra days off have given the Thunder more time to rest and practice ahead of their clash with Los Angeles.