Luka Doncic has missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ last four games due to a hamstring injury.
Los Angeles is dangerously close to falling into Play-In tournament territory, as a few more losses and a couple of Phoenix Suns wins would move Phoenix to the No. 6 seed and drop the Lakers to the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
Simply put, the Lakers need Doncic back in the starting lineup as soon as possible to help the franchise get back on the right track. On Thursday, Los Angeles received a major update on the status of its superstar point guard before the All-Star break.
“JJ Redick says Luka is continuing to progress really well, but they just wanted to be cautious and sit him out tonight,” LakersNation’s Daniel Starkand reported on X/Twitter. "He should be good to go post-All-Star."
Considering the Lakers won’t play any more regular season games until after the All-Star break, Starkand’s report is great news for the Lakers. Following Los Angeles’ much-needed break, the 17-time NBA champions will get their recently acquired star back and attempt to find a rhythm in late February.
Doncic is having one of the best seasons of his young NBA career. The former Dallas Mavericks superstar is averaging 32.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game, allowing him to make a strong MVP case in Year 8.
The Lakers should feel relieved heading into All-Star Weekend.
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