Originally published by LakersNation.com
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick may have claimed 50-win seasons in his first two years on the job, but even he will find it hard to make up for the losses of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Doncic and Reaves will miss extended time with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury, respectively, all but ensuring a first-round exit for the Lakers in the playoffs. Health has been the biggest question mark for the Lakers for years, and unfortunately it looks like another postseason will be derailed due to injuries.
Redick drew criticism for allowing Doncic and Reaves to return against the Oklahoma City Thunder despite the score, but reiterated that he was told they were both medically cleared to play, via Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania of ESPN:
“I’ve been in those situations a million times, and as a coach, you go on the information you have,” Redick said. “[Doncic] was medically cleared. When Austin came back, I asked directly, ‘I thought he was hurt?’ [I was told], ‘No, he’s medically cleared.’
“The group wanted to go for it in the second half. Talked about it at halftime. And for both those guys, the nature of playing heavy minutes [making them susceptible to injuries] … there was nothing leading into that game that would suggest either those guys were ‘running hot,’ as we call it.”
As the team’s head coach, Redick’s priority is to try to win the basketball game and if the stars are urging to play then it makes his decision defensible. In hindsight, Redick should have kept Doncic and Reaves out to perhaps prevent their injuries from getting worse but what’s done is done, and now the organization must move forward without its top two options.
With less than a week of the regular season remaining, it’s likely that Doncic and Reaves won’t be able to return in time to save the team in the playoffs. Redick and company need to continue to fight in the meantime, but at this point it feels like a losing battle.
JJ Redick: Lakers have one job
Doncic and Reaves have been open about their desire to capture their first NBA championships, so it’s not surprising that they’re doing whatever they can to return as soon as possible. It’s an admirable sentiment, so Redick announced that it’s his and the Lakers job to extend the season so they can come back.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick may have claimed 50-win seasons in his first two years on the job, but even he will find it hard to make up for the losses of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Doncic and Reaves will miss extended time with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury, respectively, all but ensuring a first-round exit for the Lakers in the playoffs. Health has been the biggest question mark for the Lakers for years, and unfortunately it looks like another postseason will be derailed due to injuries.
Redick drew criticism for allowing Doncic and Reaves to return against the Oklahoma City Thunder despite the score, but reiterated that he was told they were both medically cleared to play, via Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania of ESPN:
“I’ve been in those situations a million times, and as a coach, you go on the information you have,” Redick said. “[Doncic] was medically cleared. When Austin came back, I asked directly, ‘I thought he was hurt?’ [I was told], ‘No, he’s medically cleared.’
“The group wanted to go for it in the second half. Talked about it at halftime. And for both those guys, the nature of playing heavy minutes [making them susceptible to injuries] … there was nothing leading into that game that would suggest either those guys were ‘running hot,’ as we call it.”
As the team’s head coach, Redick’s priority is to try to win the basketball game and if the stars are urging to play then it makes his decision defensible. In hindsight, Redick should have kept Doncic and Reaves out to perhaps prevent their injuries from getting worse but what’s done is done, and now the organization must move forward without its top two options.
With less than a week of the regular season remaining, it’s likely that Doncic and Reaves won’t be able to return in time to save the team in the playoffs. Redick and company need to continue to fight in the meantime, but at this point it feels like a losing battle.
JJ Redick: Lakers have one job
Doncic and Reaves have been open about their desire to capture their first NBA championships, so it’s not surprising that they’re doing whatever they can to return as soon as possible. It’s an admirable sentiment, so Redick announced that it’s his and the Lakers job to extend the season so they can come back.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
