NBA considers radical ‘3-2-1’ draft lottery to fight tanking
The NBA is weighing a new ‘3-2-1’ draft lottery aimed at punishing tanking but critics warn it could keep bad teams stuck at the bottom.
Luka Doncic is still building towards a return, but it won’t come in time for the start of the Western Conference semifinals.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Doncic for the start of their second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on “Inside the NBA.”
Charania reports the Lakers are evaluating Doncic on a week-to-week basis, and he is currently on a “slow path” in his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined for the past month.
“He’s doing more and more on the court,” Charania reported. “But right now, still not full-fledged running or full-contact workouts.”
Did Luka Doncic play Tuesday night vs. Thunder?
No, he was out for Game 1.
When is Luka Doncic returning?
The timeline for his return is also still unclear, according to ESPN.
Doncic was seen putting shots up during Lakers practice on Monday, May 4, but he has yet to progress to 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 drills. Lakers head coach JJ Redick had no update for reporters.
Doncic has missed 11 games since straining his left hamstring against Oklahoma City on April 2. The Lakers have gone 7-4 in that span and ran out to a 3-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets before winning the series in six games.
The odds are stacked against Los Angeles yet again with a matchup against the defending NBA champion Thunder, who won a league-best 64 games in the regular season. The absence of Jalen Williams makes things slightly less lopsided, especially if the Lakers keep producing total team efforts with contributions from Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura.
Make no mistake, though: Doncic, who led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game and finished third in assists with 8.3 per game, will be needed this series, as evidenced by the result of Game 1.
It just remains to be seen when – or if – he’ll be back in time.
