The Los Angeles Lakers will be at full strength coming out of the All-Star break, which has provided needed rest for stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Lakers head coach J.J. Redick spoke with media members on Tuesday, February 18, and confirmed that Doncic will face no minutes restriction when L.A. returns to regular-season action against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
“He’ll be fine,” Redick said, per Mark Medina of Fox Sports and Athlon Sports. “That extra five, six days of All-Star break was good for him. His minutes will be up tomorrow, and I don’t think that there’s going to be any sort of restrictions going forward.”
Luka Doncic Has Battled Chronic Calf Issues Over Multiple Seasons
GettyLuke Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic has been battling an injured calf, a muscle that has caused him issues on multiple occasions in the past.
The calf injury was part of the justification by the Dallas Mavericks for trading Doncic to the Lakers for a package that included Anthony Davis, Max Christie and an unprotected first-round pick in 2029. Mavericks brass contends that the recurring injuries to the calf are related to poor physical training on the part of Doncic, who has shown up to camp overweight multiple times.
That said, Doncic is a five-time First-Team All-NBA player and led Dallas to the NBA Finals last season against the Boston Celtics, even despite dealing with multiple injury concerns. Doncic turns just 26 years old on the final day of February and may not yet even be in his prime.
He captured the Rookie of the Year Award in 2018-19 and has finished in the top-eight of MVP voting in each of the five seasons since, including finishing in the top-five on three occasions. Doncic has career averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Doncic has played two games as a member of the Lakers, both against the Utah Jazz. But he has played just 23.5 minutes per night in those two contests after missing several weeks due to his latest calf problems.
Doncic is putting up 15 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4 assists over that stretch, though his numbers should jump significantly as he gets healthier and more acclimated to his new teammates and system.
LeBron James Skipped All-Star Game Due to Lower Body Injuries
GettyLos Angeles Lakers star LeBron James missed the All-Star game with foot and ankle issues.
James also got a full week off after missing a regular-season game against the Indiana Pacers with foot and ankle injuries.
Due to those issues, he chose to sit out the All-Star Game — breaking a streak of 20 consecutive appearances with an eye toward the future.
“With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I felt like it was very important for me to kind of take care of myself and understand what’s coming,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The Lakers come off the All-Star break with a record 32-20, which is good enough for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and just a half game back of the Houston Rockets for the No. 4 spot and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
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