LOS ANGELES – Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 119-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors on opening night, concerns weren’t just about the team’s play, but also their potential injury issues moving forward. Both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sustained minor injures during the game, and following practice on Thursday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave an injury update on both players for their upcoming game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Luka was a full participant, Austin was a modified participant,” Redick said. “He [Austin] kind of tweaked his ankle. Yesterday was no live so he was able to do everything. Today he did everything but live. It’s not really a thing where I can say he’s going to be out a couple games or he’s going to play tomorrow. It’s simple, literally how he feels tomorrow. I know Austin, I’m gonna expect him to play.”
After the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors, Doncic downplayed the groin injury he sustained during the game, and at Wednesday’s practice Redick reaffirmed that Doncic did not have any limitations. While the official injury report has not yet been released, the general feeling is that both Doncic and Reaves will be able to play against the Timberwolves.
With LeBron James currently sidelined due to an injury of his own, Doncic and Reaves become that much more important to the Lakers’ lineup. Reaves in particular was flirting with All-Star like numbers last season, and stands to get better this season amid a contract year.
Reaves already turned down a contract extension offer from the Lakers this past offseason, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there is any concern he will leave the organization. He stands to gain more financially by waiting until this coming offseason to sign a new contract. Reaves can exercise his player option after this year and become an unrestricted free agent.
Against the Warriors, Reaves was one of the team’s bright spots finishing with 26 points, five rebounds, nine assists and two steals while shooting 9-of-16 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line. He did struggle from distance though going only 1-of-5 from the three-point line.
Last season, Reaves appeared in 73 games, all starts, at a little over 34 minutes per game. He averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 46 percent shooting from the field, 37.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 87.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
