The Los Angeles Lakers are scoring more points than any team in the NBA through their first 10 games and in a three-way tie for first place in the Western Conference, in large part because Luka Doncic has been playing at an unconscious pace on offense — but that will not be an advantage the team can lean on against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported via social media on Sunday, November 8 that the Lakers intend to hold Doncic out against Detroit (6-2), currently the No. 3 team in the East.
“Luka Doncic (back tightness) is out against the Pistons tonight, the Lakers announce,” McMenamin wrote on X.
Luka Doncic Has Now Missed 2 Games With Back Tightness Early in Season
Sitting a game here and there for rest management makes plenty of sense for Doncic, given his incredibly high usage rate, which has translated to a league-leading 40.1 points per game on nearly 50 percent shooting. He is adding 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in what is shaping up to be an early MVP campaign.
However, Doncic has played nine of the team’s 10 contests to this point in the year. The only one he missed was on October 28 against the Los Angeles Clippers, and the team’s stated reason was also lower back tightness.
There is no reason yet to panic in Laker land, as the team is pouring in 122.2 points per game and there is no indication that Doncic is going to miss several consecutive contests because of the condition of his back. It is also helpful that the superstar shed a significant amount of weight last year and has maintained a thinner physique, which should limit any issues he experiences.
Austin Reaves Will Handle Lakers’ Offense in Luka Doncic’s Absence, Walker Kessler Will Anchor Defense
Still, Doncic’s back is the most critical situation in Los Angeles just over 10 percent of the way into the season, as the team is humming on most other cylinders.
Austin Reaves, Doncic’s backcourt partner, is scoring 23.5 points per night while dishing out nearly 4.7 assists. The team’s offense is likely to rest mostly in his hands against the Pistons in Detroit.
The addition of big man Walker Kessler, which came at significant cost this offseason, has also proven a boon early in the season. He is averaging 14.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while functioning in the exact fashion the Lakers envisioned when trading two first-round picks and two first-round swaps for the seven-foot center.
Kessler is the biggest reason that L.A. has put the 19th-ranked defense (116.4 points per game) on the floor through 10 games this season, which isn’t tremendous or necessarily even where the Lakers will have to get to in order to truly contend for a title.
That said, it does position Los Angeles to make small strides on that end of the floor and compete every single night given the best offense in the NBA — at least when Doncic is on the floor.
Lakers Announce Luka Doncic Injury News in Unsettling Update