There are so many conflicting reports flying at this time of the year, especially with injuries, that it can be hard to get a real read on what is going on for teams behind the scenes. Perhaps there is a little bit of gamesmanship involved in that. However, a little inkling of truth does seem to be coming together when it comes to Austin Reaves.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shams Charania stepped in to challenge some of the previous intel that had been spread about the injuries of Reaves and Luka Doncic. Charania reported it was actually AR15 who was closer to returning, not Doncic.
JJ Redick might have just reinforced that notion in his message to the media ahead of Game 2 against the Houston Rockets. A Lakers insider was there on the scene to give everyone the latest.
Jovan Buha reported: "JJ Redick confirmed that Austin Reaves has begun a return-to-play protocol on the practice court, but reiterated there is no change in his return timeline. Luka Doncic will start on-court work soon but there is no change in his timeline either."
Austin Reaves takes pole position in race to return over Luka Doncic
Reaves being the first one back on the court is obviously notable with regard to who may be suiting up for the Lakers first. The news is interesting, too, considering where it is coming from in this instance.
It was actually Buha who previously hinted Doncic was the one closer to a return to the lineup. However, that was based on the optimism of what a trip to Spain could have done for Luka. Likewise, even Buha noted at the time that Reaves' oblique strain was a more straightforward injury to manage.
Perhaps that offers part of the answer as to why Reaves is the one participating in practice first.
Getting either one of the two back would be a massive gift for the Lakers. They managed to secure a quick 1-0 lead out of the gates in Game 1 against the Rockets. However, a lot of things went really right for Los Angeles in that one.
Kevin Durant is also set for a return in Game 2. One of these two sides is getting added firepower back. The Lakers won't want to slip up in the arms race too much.
Considering the NBA's role in setting up this series with multiple two-day breaks between games, the Lakers will get a little bit of extra time to lick their wounds. With Reaves starting his return-to-play protocol, fans everywhere will hope the star guard will be raining buckets on the court again before this series is over.
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