The Los Angeles Lakers are commencing a five-game road trip in Atlanta against the Hawks without a major contributor besides LeBron James. The team informed in the latest official injury report that Luka Doncic will be without Austin Reaves, who is set to miss his third consecutive contest.
The groin issues are hitting Reaves at a terrible time, as he is enjoying the best season of his career so far. Through seven games, he is averaging 31.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 9.3 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field and 90.3% from the free-throw line.
The 27-year-old guard has excelled in the crucial role of supporting Doncic in James’ absence, being highly effective on both ends of the floor. Reaves was also forced to carry the scoring load when Doncic missed three games due to finger and lower-body injuries. In those three contests, Reaves erupted for 51, 41, and 28 points against the Kings, Blazers, and Timberwolves, respectively.
Reaves’ last game before his groin issues arose was the 130-120 victory over the Heat, where he teamed up with Doncic to lead the team, averaging 26 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds. Coach JJ Redick had hoped to have him back for today’s matchup against the Hawks, but the Lakers are clearly choosing not to rush Reaves’ recovery early in the season.
Austin Reaves in action during the game against the Kings. (Getty Images)
“That’s a TBD,” Redick said when asked when he expects Reaves to return, prior to the game against the Spurs. “He’s got some soreness in that right groin and he wanted to get a workout in with Beau [Levesque] after shootaround to kind of test it… A further injury on that is hard. I’ve had them, I had that surgery. So we’re just trying to be safe with him, and hopefully [he returns] Saturday. But we’re not gonna put him at risk”.
When could Reaves and James be back?
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Regarding LeBron James, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James did not travel with the team for the five-game road trip. This suggests his return may not occur until November 19th when the Lakers face the Jazz at the Crypto.com Arena. However, there is no official data about his comeback and could be prolonged further.
As for Reaves, he did travel with the team, and the Lakers hope to have him available for the next contest against the Hornets. The injury report also lists Maxi Kleber as questionable (abdominal muscle strain), who could make his season debut if he’s healthy. In addition to James, Adou Thiero (left knee surgery recovery) and Gabe Vincent (left ankle sprain) remain out.
