Luka Doncic’s Lakers return timeline may be worsening after a sports doctor called his PRP treatment plan a “failure of epic proportions.”
Doncic has been sidelined since April 2, when he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain against Oklahoma City, and told reporters Wednesday he still has no firm return date despite receiving four platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments in Spain, Doncic revealed. Doncic has already missed five weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, and Dr. Jesse Morse warned the Lakers may have used a treatment “far too weak” for the severity of the injury, as Oklahoma City seized early control of the series.
Luka Doncic’s PRP Treatment and his Trip to Spain
Doncic broke his silence Wednesday at the team hotel in Oklahoma City, speaking publicly for the first time since returning from Spain.
“I went to Spain to do PRP. I needed four days in between every shot. So I did it four times,” he added, according to ESPN.com NBA reporter Dave McMenamin.
“The day I did the MRI on the hamstring, the doctor told me eight weeks at the beginning,” Doncic said. By Game 2 on Thursday, he will be five weeks removed from the injury and but not yet cleared for contact drills, according to California Post NBA correspondent Michael Duarte.
“It’s very frustrating. I don’t think people understand how frustrating it is,” Doncic told reporters. “All I want to do is play basketball, especially this time.”
Luka Doncic Treatment Draws Sharp Medical Criticism
Morse, a regenerative medicine specialist, delivered a blunt verdict on the approach taken with Doncic’s hamstring. PRP — platelet-rich plasma — rates roughly three out of ten in potency, he said, and triggers ten to fourteen days of inflammation after each injection before healing begins. For a partial tear of this severity, that is the wrong tool, according to the sports doctor, in a video posted to his social media account Wednesday.
“This is a failure of epic proportions when the team needs him the most,” Morse continued. “They went to a car dealership with all the money in the world and they said, ‘Hey, let’s buy a Toyota Corolla. There’s a Ferrari sitting right next to it.'” He identified amniotic tissue allografts and exosome therapies as stronger alternatives, calling the entire decision to opt for PRP in Spain as “amateur hour.”
Lakers Face Steep Climb Without Top Scorer
Los Angeles dropped Game 1 to Oklahoma City, 108–90. LeBron James addressed Doncic’s absence directly afterward.
“We’re playing against the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA,” James said, as quoted by McMenamin. “When you play against the world champions and miss having a guy that averages 34 and eight and nine and is that special, that’s a major piece missing.”
Coach JJ Redick kept the return decision simple.
“It’s when he’s ready to play, he should play,” Redick said. “That comes with the athlete having confidence.”
Doncic himself offered no timetable.
“I’m just doing everything I can,” the five-time All-NBA first teamer told reporters. “Just going day by day, and I feel better every day.”
Whether that progress arrives before the series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4 remains the question the Lakers cannot yet answer.
Lakers Luka Doncic Injury Return Delayed After ‘Failed’ Treatment: Sports Doc