Report: Luka Doncic On Minutes Restriction With Lakers

According to NBA reporter Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Luka Doncic is on a minutes restriction with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Doncic is coming back from a left calf strain. 

“Doncic is on a minutes restriction in the 30-minute range, sources told ESPN, as he continues to get his wind back after missing nearly six weeks because of a left calf strain,” McMenamin wrote. “Lakers coach JJ Redick said Doncic will train throughout the All-Star break to come back even better for the final stretch of the schedule before the playoffs.”

Doncic has appeared in two games with the Lakers. He’s averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 40.7% from the field, 26.7% from beyond the arc and 50.0% from the free-throw line. 

The Lakers are 1-1 with Doncic in the lineup. They sit at 32-20 at the All-Star break, good for fifth place in the Western Conference standings. 

One of the best players in the NBA, Doncic is averaging 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists this season in 24 games with the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers. The five-time All-Star is shooting 46.0% overall, 34.8% from 3 and 75.3% from the foul line. 

According to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic, Doncic‘s father, Sasa, was amazed watching LeBron James work out four hours before the Lakers-Golden State Warriors game on February 6.

LeBron’s work ethic has been deemed unmatched in NBA circles. 

“On the first night that Doncic was an official member of the storied franchise, the incumbent superstar, James, followed his regular pregame routine and took the floor at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time for a game against Golden State that was still four hours away,” Amick wrote. “This isn’t the norm in the NBA, where most players — Doncic among them — typically don’t hit the hardwood until about two hours before tipoff. But James, as we’ve come to learn in these past 22 seasons, is anything but normal.

“According to people who saw the scene unfold on Thursday night, Doncic’s attending family, including his father, Sasa, took notice of the dedication on display as they sat near the court. There was a sense of respect and amazement, the people said, with Sasa repeatedly turning around to watch James’ remarkable regimen.”

LeBron scored 42 points against the Warriors, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a game.