Injuries to Dončić and Reaves Raise Concerns for Lakers Ahead of Playoffs

Every NBA team has their ups and downs but as of right now, one team in particular is experiencing one of the biggest heartbreaks in the last decade. The Los Angeles Lakers — after having one of the best seasons their fans have witnessed in years — are crumbling.

Lakers' star Luka Dončić has had a Most Valuable Player (MVP) caliber season by averaging 33.5 points, eight assists and nearly eight rebounds. Reporters have stated that the 2025-2026 season may have the greatest MVP race ever. Unfortunately, five games before the playoffs, Dončić painfully strains his hamstring. What does this mean? Sadly, Dončić will be sitting on the bench for the rest of the regular season and only has a chance at being back for the playoffs.

When something tragic like this happens, the fans usually start putting pressure on their team's second strongest player. When everyone thought the situation could not get any worse, the Lakers' second leading scorer, Austin Reaves falls with Luka. Maybe the basketball Gods believe that the Lakers have already had enough success in NBA history with seventeen championships. Even so, this seems a little too harsh. This season, Austin Reaves has been playing some of the best basketball of his life. He averages twenty-three points, five rebounds, and about six assists. Reaves has a Grade 2 oblique muscle injury, so he will be sitting right next to his friend Luka Dončić on the bench until the end of the regular season.

As of now, the Lakers are ranked third in the Western Conference, but this could very easily change. The Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to play both the Oklahoma-City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns. With Dončić and Reaves injured, both of these games can undoubtedly end poorly for the fans in LA.

There is no doubt the Lakers are experiencing issues, but that does not mean their season is over. Dončić and Reaves are both injured, so the fate of LA lies in none other than forty-one year old LeBron James' hands. We have all seen him carry his team to victory before, but can he do it again? Only time will tell.