The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Luka Doncic for Game 1 of their second-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 27-year-old has not recovered from his Grade 2 left hamstring strain and is currently considered week-to-week.
The Thunder, however, are also dealing with a significant injury concern on their end. Jalen Williams suffered an injury in Game 2 of their opening-round series against the Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-5 guard-forward was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, which forced him to sit out the rest of the Suns series.
Williams has officially been ruled out for Game 1 against the Lakers on Tuesday. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed Williams’ status on Monday.
“He's progressing according to plan, I would say,” Daigneault said of Williams. “In terms of a timeline, we're not going to release that. We’ll continue to let you guys know on a week-to-week basis.”
Williams has battled through injuries throughout the season for OKC. He was limited to just 33 games in the regular season, averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 28.4 minutes.
The lack of a firm timetable significantly impacts the Lakers. Williams is a key player for the Thunder, and his availability will heavily influence L.A.'s game plan for each contest.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick may now plan accordingly, as Williams has been officially ruled out for Game 1. The fact that the 24-year-old is week-to-week indicates that there is a significant chance Williams will miss more time beyond Game 1.
Then again, there’s a lot of gamesmanship going on during the playoffs. Daigneault is being very selective with the information he’s giving out on Williams, which could be by design.
Redick and the Lakers must now prepare for every eventuality involving Williams amid the uncertainty.
