Redick provides no update on Doncic as Lakers commence playoff preparations.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Following his team’s initial practice in preparation for the playoffs, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick stated on Tuesday that he does not have any further updates regarding the return of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves from their injuries.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick mentioned. “I won’t have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely.”
Reaves, who is healing from a Grade 2 left oblique strain, was seen at the facility shooting free throws with teammates after practice while wearing slide sandals. After sustaining the injury on April 2 during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, his rehabilitation is anticipated to take 4-6 weeks, according to sources relayed by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Doncic remains in Spain, where he has received several injections for his Grade 2 left hamstring strain. Sources informed ESPN that Doncic is expected to return to Los Angeles on Friday to join his team for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers will have LeBron James available, coming off Western Conference Player of the Week accolades, to assist L.A. in finishing the regular season with a 3-1 record after their star backcourt was injured. However, Redick indicated that the team’s strategy will not rely solely on the 23-year veteran.
“I believe we have other options [besides] just him having the ball and facing a set defense every single possession,” Redick stated. “We’ll aim to incorporate various actions based on their lineups and defensive strategies.”
After giving his team a day off on Monday, Redick outlined the remainder of the week to prepare for the series opener.
Tuesday “was focused on us,” Redick noted. On Wednesday, the coaching staff will introduce the Rockets’ roster, which includes the NBA’s fifth all-time leading scorer, Kevin Durant; All-Star big man Alperen Sengun; and the 6-7 wing, Amen Thompson, recognized as one of the league’s most athletic players. Thursday will be dedicated to their scouting, followed by reinforcing that scouting on Friday.
“On Saturday, we’ll be ready,” Redick said.
While concentrating on his team on Tuesday, Redick organized a more vigorous practice than he did last spring leading up to their first-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which they won 117-95.
“We aimed to meet certain thresholds, and we accomplished that,” Redick said, referring to the tracking data that monitored his players’ loads, accelerations, and jumps during the session. “I thought the players exhibited a very business-like, focused attitude during today’s practice.”
One way Redick incorporated Houston into the practice was by having his players participate in a box-out drill.
The Rockets led the league in total rebounds per game (48.1) and offensive rebounds per game (15.0), while the Lakers finished 27th.
“Taking care of the basketball and boxing out, that’s the series,” Redick emphasized. “Scheme and personnel are certainly important, but if we don’t protect the ball and fail to box out, we won’t win the series.”
Lakers backup center Jaxson Hayes, who returned to practice on Tuesday after missing the last four games due to a sore left foot, remarked that the drill reminded him of his college experience at the University of Texas.
And L.A. will face a significant challenge with this Rockets team.
“I know I can influence the game with my energy: running, securing rebounds, and boxing out,” Hayes stated. “Especially against Clint [Capela] and the other bigs, I know they are heavily involved on the glass, so I will focus on keeping them off the boards and doing whatever the team requires of me.”
