The Lakers will have to find a way to survive without Luka Doncic for at least a week. The team announced that Luka will be re-evaluated in one week due to a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion, joining LeBron James on the sidelines.
Luka Dončić has been diagnosed with a left finger sprain and lower left leg contusion, and will be reevaluated in approximately one week.
LA have a B2B today (at SAC) and tomorrow (vs. POR) before road games at MIN and MEM.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 26, 2025
According to The Athletic, the Lakers don’t view this as a serious injury and don’t anticipate Luka to miss more than a week. But the Lakers don’t have the best track record when it comes to estimating the length of injuries. So take it with a grain of salt. But even if it’s just a week, that could be costly in a competitive Western Conference.
Who Leads the Team Now?
It starts with Austin Reaves. He’s flashed star utility in games without Luka and LeBron before, and this is his chance to show his skills as the primary initiator. Expect defenses to blitz him early, pick him up 94 feet, and dare the Lakers’ role players to beat them. If Austin can average high-20s scoring and 8–10 assists, he strengthens both his All-Star case and future payday.
Behind him, Gabe Vincent becomes crucial. J.J. Redick has been inexplicably reliant on his offense, so expect that to continue during this stretch. The Lakers could lean into his ball-handling more, especially in second-unit minutes.
Marcus Smart will likely also get his chance at ball-handling duties, as he has been a lead guard for teams that went to the finals and has shown flashes of that during his time as a Laker.
Making Up for Luka’s Scoring
Believe it or not, the Lakers theoretically have enough firepower to make up for Luka’s absence. Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Ayton, and even Dalton Knecht all have the ability to put up 25-plus on any given night. The only question is the consistency. Reaves is the only one that you can rely on to score those types of numbers every night. But if the other players step up, they should be just fine offensively.
The Fifth Starter
With depth thinning, someone between Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia gets bumped up. Smart brings toughness, communication, and is the defensive glue. LaRavia adds length and rebounding. Either way, both will be asked to do more offensively.
Lack of Depth
Keep in mind that it’s not just Luka they’ll be missing. LeBron, Jaxson Hayes, and Adou Thiero will miss some, if not that entire stretch, as well. Gabe Vincent could also miss some significant time with an ankle injury, and Marcus Smart could miss a few games with a quad contusion. This will force non-rotation players like Bronny James and Nick Smith Jr. to potentially play significant minutes. That’s not exactly a squad that inspires confidence.
The Schedule Is No Friend
Sacramento, Portland twice, Minnesota, Memphis, Miami. None of them is going to be a cakewalk, and several will smell weakness and pressure ball-handlers aggressively. A realistic prediction for their record during this stretch would be 2-4?
Bottom Line
This isn’t panic time. It’s survival time. If Austin Reaves rises, role players hit shots, and the defense holds up, they could come out of this stretch just fine. And if not, the silver lining is growth. These next few games give others a chance to step up, build confidence, and have the team as a whole stronger when their stars return.
