While fans will see Luke Kennard make his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors, one player viewers will not see is star Luka Doncic, as his further status on his hamstring injury has been revealed. As Doncic's injury severity with the Lakers has been speculated, head coach JJ Redick spoke about just that before Saturday's game when the team takes on the Warriors.
Redick would say Saturday evening that Doncic has a “mild hamstring strain” and will be considered “day to day,” according to ClutchPoints' Lakers reporter in David Mendez-Yapkowitz.
“JJ Redick says Luka Doncic has a mild hamstring strain and will be day to day,” Mendez-Yapkowitz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
While Doncic will miss some time, it doesn't appear to be long-term, as further reporting from Dave McMenamin of ESPN would say that the left hamstring injury is not a “major issue.”
“There is some initial optimism that Luka Doncic is not dealing with a major issue with his left hamstring. However, the Lakers star is doubtful to play Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, sources told ESPN,” McMenamin wrote on X on Friday.
There is obviously no doubt how crucial Doncic is to Los Angeles as he leads the entire NBA by averaging 32.8 points to go along with 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.
At any rate, the Lakers hope to get back Doncic sooner rather than later as the team is 31-19 before Saturday's contest against the Warriors, putting them fifth in the Western Conference. After the Warriors game on Saturday, the next opportunity for Doncic to come back would be on Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
