Luka Dončić expected to make Lakers debut vs. Pacers barring setback
Barring a last-minute setback in the coming days, it sounds like Luka Dončić will make his Lakers debut on Saturday against the Pacers.
UPDATE: During Tuesday’s TNT broadcast of the Lakers-Clippers game, sideline reporter Jared Greenberg revealed that, according to his sources, Luka Dončić is expected to make his debut on Saturday against the Pacers barring a setback.
Specifically, he noted that if the 5-on-5 Luka is scheduled to take part in on Wednesday goes well, he’ll receive the all-clear to make his debut over the weekend.
So, prepare according. Laker Luka Magic is near.
Original story follows.
Now that Luka Dončić is a Laker, the dream is a reality and it’s time to consider what he’ll look like playing with LeBron James and when we’ll see it on the basketball court.
Dončić is currently dealing with a calf strain and last played in a game in Dallas’ Christmas Day loss against Minnesota.
At his introductory presser on Tuesday, vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka gave a lengthy update regarding Luka’s injury and return timeline.
“Our sports performance department is led by Dr. Leroy Sims,” Pelinka said. “Luka’s got trusted sports performance folks that’s going to become part of our family and Dr. Sims’ circle. They’re working together as we speak about a return-to-play plan.
“We have 5-on-5 scheduled tomorrow for Luka and we’re going to take it one day at a time just to make sure that the calf injury is at a good and safe place. So I would truly say, at this point, he’s day-to-day. We’re going to take it one step at a time. But if all those days go well and Luka feels good and confident, he’ll be in a game soon.”
Earlier reports indicated that Luka's return was targeted for the team’s Feb. 8 matchup against the Pacers.
That isn’t necessarily out of the window with this day-to-day status, but we’ll have to keep an eye on the injury report and updates to see when we’ll see Luka playing in a purple and gold uniform.
Dončić has a history of calf strain issues, missing preseason games and even some playoff action back in 2022 because of it.
During his press conference, Luka shared why, this time, he’s being more cautious to ensure that when he’s back, it will be for good.
“For the first time, I took my time,” Dončić said. “Get it to heal 100%. Other times, I think I just wanted to get back on the court and playing basketball and not really be healthy 100%. This time, I just took my time, which was a normal amount of time, to get back to 100%.”
A fully healthy Luka ready to finish the season strong is the ideal situation for the Lakers and just a little bit of patience is needed before we can see that scenario play out.
In the meantime, Luka can continue his rehab and enjoy the ocean he loves so much while the Lakers inch ever closer to the All-Star Break.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.