JJ Redick tasks Lakers with extending season amid injuries to Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves
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The Los Angeles Lakers enter the final stretch of the regular season without two of their top playmakers after Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves were ruled out for the remainder of the schedule, both suffering Grade 2 injuries during last week’s blow-out loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Head coach JJ Redick addressed the setbacks Sunday on Spectrum SportsNet before the club’s 108-99 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, emphasizing that the roster must keep winning to give the injured duo a chance to return later in the postseason.
“Our job is to extend the season”
“We knew that Austin was likely going to be out for a little bit of time,” Redick said. “Obviously disappointed and devastated for him to have his regular season finish this way. Both of those guys are gonna try to come back, and it’s our job to extend the season so that they can.”
Dončić strained his left hamstring; Reaves suffered an oblique injury, and both typically require several weeks—often more than a month—of recovery. The Western Conference playoffs begin in mid-April, leaving Los Angeles with a narrow window to survive at least one round without its starting backcourt.
Supporting cast under pressure
With Dončić and Reaves sidelined, Los Angeles will lean heavily on LeBron James while asking role players to shoulder larger offensive loads. Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura are expected to see increased usage, and shooters Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt must produce enough perimeter scoring to keep defenses honest.
Dončić seeks specialized treatment in Europe
Hoping to accelerate his rehabilitation, Dončić has returned to Europe for specialized hamstring therapy, according to the team. No timetable has been provided, but the Lakers remain optimistic he could be cleared if they advance.
The Lakers, who surged in March before the injuries, currently occupy a mid-tier playoff seed. Without their top two guards, oddsmakers project a challenging first-round matchup, but Redick maintains the mission is clear: survive and advance long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
Source: LakersNation.com
