The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the more surprisingly brilliant teams this season. After a relatively quiet offseason that saw them make fringe additions to the roster, they have come out as one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Even with LeBron James missing a chunk of the season, they have been able to continue without him.
That’s mostly due to the success both Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić have had this season, as they have powered the Lakers to a top-four seed in the West. However, facing the Los Angeles Clippers, the team suffered a major blow as their Slovenian superstar went down with an injury.
What Happened to Luka Dončić?
After a calf strain kept Reaves out for a week, he was scheduled to miss the game against the other team in their city as it is. However, things went from bad to worse for Los Angeles when Dončić went down with a leg contusion early in the game.
Averaging a league-leading 35.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, he had been a one-man wrecking crew for his team as the engine of their entire offense. A top-3 MVP candidate according to the official NBA ladder, he was back to the form that made him such a superstar with the Dallas Mavericks.
With an opportunity to extend their two-game winning streak, they faced a Clippers squad that hadn’t gotten going at any point during the year. However, a rough start to the game from Dončić made it clear that all wasn’t well with the five-time All-Star.
Going 4-of-13 from the field for 12 points, he finally checked out of the game, with a massive deficit already building for the Lakers. Unfortunately, the situation was worse than imagined, as insider Chris Haynes soon confirmed, “Los Angeles Lakers say Luka Dončić (left leg contusion) will not return to tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.”
With a history of injuries to his calf and hamstring, it isn’t a complete shock to see Dončić suffering from the same ailment once again. However, what has made the situation worse is that it feels like an injury that could have been avoided through better management by his team.
A roster that ranks dead last in the league in bench scoring needs its best offensive weapon to be consistently out there. Add in the injuries to James early in the season, and Dončić has had to average 37.4 minutes per game.
That kind of workload can take a toll on any player, and it may have caused a soft tissue injury. At this point, the only hope for the Lakers is that the injury does not turn out to be a long-term ailment and Dončić can recover sooner rather than later.
As currently constructed, this is not a team that can be a legitimate player in the West without him.
