After nearly a month on the sidelines, Austin Reaves is on the verge of returning for the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, the star guard remains out for Thursday’s primetime road clash against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome as he continues to recover from a Grade 2 left calf strain.
What’s the Latest Update on Austin Reaves’ Return Timeline From His Calf Injury?
After straining his calf on Dec. 25, Reaves was initially given a four-week timetable before being re-evaluated. On Tuesday, Lakers coach JJ Redick revealed that the undrafted breakout star is “progressing well” and is expected to return at some point during the team’s season-long eight-game road trip.
Thursday’s showdown against the Clippers (19-24) marks the Lakers’ second contest of their away stretch following their 115-107 win over the Denver Nuggets two days earlier.
Although Reaves was ruled out a day before the matchup between the NBA’s two LA squads, he should return within the next two weeks, with the Lakers set to conclude their road trip on Feb. 3.
LA was forced to rally from a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat the undermanned Nuggets on Tuesday behind a 38-point triple-double from superstar guard Luka Dončić. With the victory, the Lakers (26-16) improved to 11-8 without Reaves this season, including a 7-6 record during his latest absence streak.
Still, the aspiring Western Conference contenders could use a boost from Reaves’ shot creation and playmaking to lighten the offensive burden on Dončić and veteran star forward LeBron James.
Through 23 appearances, Reaves is averaging a career-high 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.7 3-pointers per game on strong 50.7/36.5/87.3 shooting splits. Meanwhile, the Lakers have gone 15-8 with him in the lineup.
While Reaves won’t solve LA’s glaring defensive woes, as the team sits 25th in defensive rating (117.3), Dončić is looking forward to having another potent offensive threat by his side.
“On court, he’s an amazing player. He helps us in so many ways,” Dončić said Tuesday in anticipation of Reaves’ return. “Playing with him is fun, it’s very fun.
“… He’s gonna be huge for us, especially we have eight-games road trip. So, it’s gonna be huge if we can get him back, but obviously, he’s gotta be fully healthy, especially the calf, it’s not an easy injury. So, we just want him to be healthy, and then when he’s ready to go back, come back.”
Reaves’ next chance to suit up comes during Saturday’s road showdown against the Dallas Mavericks, in Dončić’s next potential revenge outing against his former team.
