It was a fun month for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they were beating some of the best teams in the NBA while Luka Doncic made his case to be the MVP of the league.
Each night, it felt like the Slovenian wonderboy was putting up video game numbers on the court for the Lakers.
The chemistry with the team was at an all time high. LeBron James, who had been outwardly frustrated with the organization earlier in the season, was jovial, turning back the clock and performing slam dunks that no one in their 40s should be able to execute.
Then, as quickly as it could in sports, it all ended.
The Oklahoma City Thunder humbled the Lakers, blowing them out, and, even worse, Doncic went down with a hamstring injury.
Less than 24 hours later, it was announced that Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring injury and that he would not play another game in the NBA regular season.
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While that gave the Lakers a tiny bit of hope that Doncic would be back for the postseason, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as there is a legitimate possibility that Los Angeles shuts down Doncic for the remainder of the campaign.
Looking at recent Grade 2 hamstring injuries, players are often out for one month to 6 weeks, with a high risk of reaggravation if rushed back too soon.
The playoffs start in two weeks, so even if he could come back at the earliest, as we’ve seen from a Grade 2 hamstring injury, Doncic is likely to miss the opening round of the playoffs.
And if Doncic were to return for the Western Conference semifinals, there is a possibility of even sustaining a longer-term injury if pushed too fast, too soon.
While Doncic is a competitor and will want to get back on the court as soon as possible, a gigantic elephant in the shadows is that the Lakers are in the process of turning a page in their franchise’s history.
The Buss family no longer runs the team, with Los Angeles Dodgers head man Mark Walter in charge. Walter is not someone who cares about single seasons; he’s a plotter who likes building dynasties.
So even if there is a chance Doncic recovers in time to play in the playoffs, Walter could make the final choice to protect Doncic’s future over chasing what could be LeBron James’ best chance to win a title before retirement.
