How much different could the 2026 NBA Playoffs have looked if Luka Doncic had a quicker return to the court? That is the thought that has been inescapable for many Los Angeles Lakers fans from the moment of getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
At the time, Doncic was telling everyone how hard it was to not be out there on a playoff court with his team. Luka wanted to hoop. Lakers fans wanted him to hoop. However, the doctors — rightfully — were not going to risk further damage to his hamstring by allowing that.
That caution came for good reason, too. Dave McMenamin's recent write-up for ESPN gave insight as to just how far Doncic truly was from an NBA court during the postseason. As a needed reminder before digesting the upcoming information: the Lakers season ended on May 11.
McMenamin wrote: "[Doncic] was cleared for basketball activities on May 28 -- about 2½ weeks after their series against the Thunder finished, sources close to Doncic told ESPN."
Luka Doncic was never close to a playoff return for the Lakers
What was happening on May 28 when Doncic got cleared? The San Antonio Spurs were extending the Western Conference Finals with a dominant 118-91 Game 6 win over the Thunder.
Game 6. Western Conference Finals. There is some mighty separation in that and when the Lakes got sent packing to Cancun. That should give fans some peace of mind when it comes to the big what-if of Doncic.
Based on McMenamin's report, there was never a real chance for Doncic to play in this year's NBA Playoffs unless LeBron James completely transformed into the 2018 version of himself. That much was never going to happen at 41 years of age.
It is still fair to wonder about how the season goes if Doncic never gets injured in the first place, but that is a completely separate scenario that is far more detached from the reality the Lakers were forced to endure. At that point, there is far more guess work to factor in that equation.
It is totally fair for Lakers fans to be bitter about how this season ended. When the team turned the corner, disaster struck. That left an undeniable feeling of wondering what could have been.
At this point, though, it may just be better to look at the positives. The Lakers are trending in the right direction with their current group. A strong offseason of improving the roster could close the gap on genuine title contention.
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