The Los Angeles Lakers were routed 139–96 by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, but the worst news for the Purple and Gold was what happened to Luka Doncic, who suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined. With the Slovenian star out, LeBron James is set to see his responsibilities shift significantly.
“I don’t know what role will be asked of me. I don’t know. We’ll have to see what that role will be,” LeBron told Spectrum SportsNet after the game. “I’ve been in this one for a minute now, so it will be an adjustment. So we’ll see”.
While James expressed uncertainty, he will likely revert to the high-usage role he held prior to Doncic’s arrival—acting as both the primary ball-handler and the team’s leading scoring threat. Amidst this scenario, James urged the Lakers to rally after Doncic’s injury, with Austin Reaves also expected to take on a larger role.
When could Doncic return?
While official results from Friday’s MRI have not yet been released, injury analyst Jeff Stotts noted that the average recovery time for nondescript hamstring strains in the NBA this season has been 22 days (approximately 9 games).
Luka Doncic reacts after getting injured. (Getty Images)
If this timeline holds true, Doncic would miss the remainder of the regular season and potentially the opening games of the NBA Playoffs, leaving a massive void in the Lakers’ rotation.
Injury deals major blow to Doncic’s MVP hopes
The timing of the injury is devastating, not just for the Lakers‘ postseason seeding, but for Doncic’s individual accolades. Before the injury, the guard was putting up MVP-caliber numbers, averaging per game 33.5 points (league leader), 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists across 64 games played.
Furthermore, under the NBA’s current CBA, a player must appear in 65 games to be eligible for end-of-season awards. If Doncic does not return for at least one more regular-season game, he will finish with 64 appearances—rendering him ineligible for the MVP and All-NBA honors.
