Coming into the day, Luka Doncic was a question mark to play with the Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back set. That question mark is now a game-time decision label. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Doncic’s status will be a mystery right up until the 10:00 p.m. ET tip-off against the Clippers.
Doncic logged 35.5 minutes in Thursday’s narrow win over the Timberwolves, and while the All-Star did finish with 21 points and 13 rebounds, it wasn’t his best performance, shooting a putrid 6-for-20 (30.0%) from the field. Still, it’s been encouraging watching Doncic settle in with his new teammates and look more comfortable in his last three starts. Prior to yesterday’s showing, Doncic had posted consecutive games with at least 68 FPTS. It’s a span where Doncic also sports a team-high 32.3% usage rate.
If Doncic sits on Friday — and LeBron James may join him and he’s also questionable due to injury management — there should be tons of opportunity available for Austin Reaves, Jordan Goodwin and Dalton Knecht. It’s a small sample, but since Doncic’s Lakers debut on February 10, Reaves leads the squad with a 33.9% usage rate with his two All-Star teammates off the court. Reaves averages a jaw-dropping 1.61 FPTS per minute in that scenario, too.
