Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves has been dealing with calf issues in recent weeks and that came to a head on Christmas Day when he was forced to leave the game at halftime. Calf injuries are not something to take lightly and considering Reaves has now dealt with multiple, his absence was not expected to be a short one.
Those suspicions were confirmed true as the team announced Reaves will be re-evaluated in four weeks with a grade 2 strain.
Calf strains have become a common injury this season and every team is exercising utmost caution when a player comes down with this ailment as it can often lead to Achilles injuries. A recent example is San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who remains on a minute restriction and is coming off the bench since returning from a multi-week absence due to a calf issue.
Given Los Angeles’ recent struggles, having their second-best player in terms of statistics sidelined is another hit, but head coach JJ Redick was more focused on making sure Reaves is OK.
“I think the biggest thing right now, at least yesterday when I talked to him, I’m bummed for him. I feel for him,” Redick said. “When you have an injury that’s a longer-term injury than just like an ankle sprain or a tweaked hamstring where you know you’re gonna be back in a week, there’s a little bit of a grieving process and I think there’s importance in respecting that grieving process. But I’m bummed for him.”
Redick also discussed how Reaves’ injury changes things for the team moving forward.
“It doesn’t change the messaging. We’ve been dealing with this all season, so I don’t look at this as any different. We’ve had guys out. Bron was out for the first four weeks of the season,” he said. “I think the nature of this team sport is that we need all participants giving their best at all times and if we can get that, we have a chance to win regardless of injuries.”
There is no rush for the Arkansas native to return to game action, but Luka Doncic will now have to shoulder more of an offensive load, along with LeBron James.
Bench production has been nonexistent this year as the Lakers rely heavily on their starters to produce points. It is hard to replace 26.6 points a contest, but there needs to be multiple players who chip in to fill that void.
Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura are two names that need to take advantage of more offensive touches. Currently on a three-game losing streak, Redick needs to keep the ship together and not allow Reaves’ injury to cause them to sink deeper.
Luka Doncic expresses support for Austin Reaves
Someone who has been in a similar boat as Reaves is Doncic, who also injured his calf on Christmas Day last year as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic missed multiple weeks and he came back to action as a Laker in February to demonstrate how delicate his situation was.
Hopefully, Reaves can return around the four-week mark, but Doncic expressed support to his backcourt mate after he re-injured his calf.
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