How the Lakers Can Survive Without Luka Doncic
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is out for the remainder of the regular season and potentially even the postseason, according to the Lakers. His absence is a massive blow to the Lakers, who will certainly suffer a drop in performance over the remaining games. He was leading the team in scoring and assists while grabbing rebounds and collecting steals.
Doncic finished as the Western Conference player of the month for March and looked poised to keep his MVP momentum going. The Thunder game was a serious roadblock to any MVP conversation, as the Lakers lost to the defending champions, but Doncic did not even finish the game. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) hops to the side of the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center.
Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images He hopped to the side of the court with an alleged left hamstring injury before exiting the game and missing the remainder of it, getting an MRI that revealed the true extent of his injury. With an intense rehabilitation ahead for Doncic, the Lakers are left looking for their other two stars, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, who need to pick up the offensive load and spearhead the team. Reaves is a machine in terms of usage and ball-handling when needed, and his production should seriously increase.
James, on the other hand, will be hard-pressed to push himself too much at the age of 41. He will have his moments and will certainly try to do more on the floor, but the pieces around him are more important than ever. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LA Sports Report (@lasportsreport) Players like Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart, who were more role players, will need to step up and take on more ball-handling or defensive responsibilities.
Luke Kennard can also handle the ball and is a solid movement shooter off the dribble, all while making solid reads. He should be more involved as well. It will be a group effort to replace a superstar like Doncic, but for the postseason, when stars truly shine, there is nothing that the Lakers can do about his absence but pray he comes back in time.