The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Austin Reaves on Sunday afternoon as he recovers from a heel injury, and they can’t let that injury add more to Luka Doncic’s plate. The Lakers superstar is the MVP favorite. Doncic is averaging 38.6 points, 7.6 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. He leads the NBA in scoring, field goals made, 3-pointers made, and free throws made. It has been an incredible start, but Luka already has a historic usage rate.
His 40.1 usage percentage would be the third-highest in NBA history. Only Russell Westbrook in 2017 and James Harden in 2019 have put up a larger number. Those two won just one playoff series combined in their massive usage seasons. Doncic already has an unsustainable workload. He can’t do more, even if the Lakers are light on ball-handling and shot creation as Reaves sits.
AR suffered a heel injury in the win over the Bucks. Head coach JJ Redick downplayed the injury and called Reaves day-to-day. He won’t play Sunday, and nobody knows when he’ll be ready. Collin Sexton missed two-plus weeks with a calf injury Redick called day-to-day in the preseason. No matter how long AR is out, the Lakers need to lighten Luka’s workload.
Lakers need Luka Doncic to be a serious title threat
LA built their roster around Doncic this summer. They have nine new players and wanted a team that fits their superstar's skill set. The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler to be the rim protector and lob threat Luka’s has been asking for. They signed multiple 3-and-D wings as they got younger and more versatile. Luka maximizes this roster, which adds to his importance.
The Lakers are 11-2 and look like a serious title threat. Doncic has led the NBA in scoring in two of the last three seasons, but has taken it to another level this year. He’s shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 40.8 percent on his 3-point attempts. There is no slowing him down.
The franchise has already rested Doncic twice in the first 13 games. They know just how important he is to their success. Luka is the best offensive player on the planet and makes the role players better. They need him on the floor, which means watching his workload closely.
Lakers need to find ways to lessen Luka Doncic’s workload
Credit to JJ Redick and the coaching staff. They have engaged Doncic more off the ball this season. He doesn’t have to bring it up the court every possession. The Lakers are setting screens to free him up off the catch and creating ways for him to attack.
This has saved Doncic slightly, despite his incredibly high usage. Los Angeles needs to find more opportunities for Luka to do less.
This plan gets more complicated without Reaves. Doncic and Sexton are the only other trusted ball-handlers and shot creators on LA's roster. Quentin Grimes can be a secondary option in a pinch, but he has struggled to start this season. Coach Redick will have to stagger Luka and Sexton, but he can’t expect Doncic to bring the ball up every possession. That is just too much for The Don.
The Lakers got Kessler more involved in the only game Reaves missed before Sunday. Don’t be surprised to see the big man get more easy buckets, but it won’t solve the playmaking problem. Only Rob Pelinka and the front office can do that.
Lakers must acquire another ball-handler to help Luka Doncic
LA can’t survive the 82-game regular season grind with just three ball-handlers. Bronny James has failed every audition. Jaden Hardy is a score-first guard. The Lakers have nowhere else to turn on their roster, so they need to find an external option.
Reaves is out with a heel injury. It could be multiple games, and the Lakers can’t expect Luka and Sexton to be the only lead creator options. Grimes will have to step up. LA will need more from Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kessler out of the short roll. Expect Redick to get creative, but the purple and gold know the options are limited. Teams will exploit them if the Lakers ask role players to do too much.
Los Angeles has just three second-round draft picks and one first-round swap to trade. They won’t be acquiring a star. The Lakers need a reserve option capable of running the offense and taking a small chunk of Luka’s massive workload.
The Los Angeles Lakers can’t expect Luka Doncic to do more with Austin Reaves out. Everyone else needs to step up. Luka’s usage rate is already the third-highest in NBA history. He can’t go any higher. The role players must do more for the Lakers to keep winning. Now is the time to see what they can do, and hopefully, Reaves returns in short order.
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