For the second time in as many days, the Los Angeles Lakers are dealt crushing injury news, this time concerning star guard Austin Reaves.
On Saturday, it was announced that Reaves has sustained a Grade 2 oblique strain and will miss several weeks.
The Lakers are suddenly dug in. After two months of remarkable success, much of it thanks to the spectacular play of Reaves and the other injured L.A. star, Luka Doncic, the team catapulted up to third place in a tight Western Conference.
With injuries to the Lakers’ two best players, the outlook of the season has immediately shifted. Reaves and Doncic will be sidelined the remainder of the regular season and not much is known beyond that.
Reaves’ listed return timeline is 4-6 weeks, which is actually longer than Doncic’s 3-6 weeks. Nevertheless, Los Angeles is almost certainly going to be without both stars in the first round of the playoffs.
Reaves, 27, was in the midst of his best season as a pro. Unless the Lakers upset the odds, it is extremely unlikely Reaves will see the court again before next season.
Doctor dives deep on Austin Reaves’ injury, provides return timeline
Another day, another Lakers star being examined for the best-case return scenario.
Like Doncic, Reaves sustained a soft tissue injury. Any medical professional will tell you how tricky these are to manage. And even when they do heal, it isn’t uncommon for a flare-up to occur.
While it is more likely Doncic is able to return if the Lakers’ season survives long enough, perhaps the same cannot be said about Reaves.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
According to Dr. Jesse Morse, a board-certified sports and family medicine expert, Reaves’ has suffered a “really painful” injury and may be out for as many as five weeks.
“Grade 2 oblique strains are actually partial tears usually where the muscle attaches to the rib,” Morse wrote on X. “Often times these are on the non-dominant side, much more common in baseball players. The oblique muscles are responsible for twisting and are a core muscle. So every time you twist your abdomen, the oblique muscles are responsible for re-centering you.”
Morse also provided the best and worst-case return timeline for Reaves.
“Similar to Doncic and his hamstring injury, these are commonly reinjured if the player returns to sport too quickly,” he wrote. “Minimum 3 weeks for a grade 2, sometimes closer to 5 if there is any rib cartilage damage.”
Can L.A. hope for a miracle?
According to Morse, Reaves can return as soon as three weeks, depending on the exact severity of the oblique strain. But he also mentioned that this type of injury is often challenging because of the re-injury risk. That factor alone could push the chances of a Reaves return in the playoffs to almost zero.
Doncic is also battling a similar injury, and his best-case return scenario also lies around three weeks from the time of strain.
Considering the speed and intensity of playoff basketball, it sure would feel like asking an awful-lot of either player to be thrown right into the action as soon as their injuries heal. It simply cannot be expected of either player to play again this season, though it isn’t impossible, either.
The Lakers have five regular season games remaining and then roughly a week off as the play-in tournament goes on.
This has been as unfortunate an end to a long 82-game season as one could imagine. Los Angeles’ season is officially hanging on by a thread.
Austin Reaves Injury Update: Doctor Provides Return Timeline and Best-Case Scenario