The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans have hardly had time to process Luka Doncic's hamstring injury, but they must now absorb another massive body blow. Austin Reaves will join the NBA's leading scorer in missing the remainder of the regular season, per ESPN's Shams Charania. He dealt with an oblique issue during Thursday's blowout loss versus the Oklahoma City Thunder but returned to the floor.
Obviously, the injury is more serious than initially expected. The Lakers can only hope that Reaves is able to suit during the NBA playoffs. Considering the Doncic news, perhaps the team is taking extra caution with its second-leading scorer. Either way, LA is currently without almost 57 points per game. LeBron James will have to transition back to a primary role on offense, at least for the next few contests.
Reaves was performing at an All-Star level early in the season, but a calf strain cost him any chance of partaking in February's festivities at the Intuit Dome. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old guard is enjoying a career campaign, averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 49.0 percent from the field. He is an undeniable difference-maker who gets to the free-throw line at a high rate (7.3 attempts per game).
Los Angeles (50-27) does have the benefit of already clinching a playoff berth. Even if the third-place squad stumbles down the stretch, it is unlikely to occupy anything worse than a fifth seed in the Western Conference bracket. Games against the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz could also help.
The next week is really not a concern, though. Fans want to know how the Lakers will look when they take the court for the playoffs. They must wait for an answer.
