Well, the Lakers won’t have Luka Dončić for their first couple of preseason games. Los Angeles has stated that Luka will miss the upcoming matchups against the Suns and the Warriors.
The move is not a shock,
as Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated after practice on Thursday that he wanted to be cautious playing guys who have been pushing themselves hard during practice.
Luka has been an active participant with the Lakers during the first three days of training camp and played a lot this summer in EuroBasket with Slovenia.
Joining Luka on the bench will be a long list of players for Los Angeles’ preseason opener.
LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero will be out for the team’s contest against the Suns. The injury report for the Warriors is still unknown, but now it is certain that Luka will also miss that game.
Luka’s impact on this team can’t be understated. He appears to be in the best shape of his life, fully prepared to have a great season as he begins to enter the prime of his career.
Dončić is the young superstar of the team and the future of the franchise. He signed a three-year, $165-million extension this summer and is seen as an MVP contender by league executives.
Last year, after joining the Lakers, Luka averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game.
With the Lakers playing six preseason games, Luka will still have plenty of opportunities to get some action in some of these contests before the regular season begins.
In the meantime, Redick will have to try and figure out how to maximize his game plan and make good use of these games despite missing his two best players, key rotation pieces, and his rookie.
The good news is that this appears to be more about load management for Luka, rather than a sign of any lingering injury issue.
Last season, Luka missed over a month of NBA action due to a calf strain and he also dealt with a knee contusion while playing with Slovenia. Luckily, that injury was not serious, as he continued to participate and play well in his international games.
So far, this absence doesn’t seem to be involving his calf or knee and is just about making sure Luka doesn’t do too much too soon before the games actually count.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
