The Los Angeles Lakers lost two key players, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, in one game with respective regular-season-ending injuries. Since then, the head coach has been under fire for his apparent negligence, which he has denied time and again. Before the Mavericks’ matchup, JJ Redick clarified his stance with an optimistic return date.

“I just know that he’s (Doncic) gonna do everything he can to try to be back,” said Redick to the media. “I talked to him Friday, I talked to him again yesterday, I talked to him again this morning. He’s gonna go through all the necessary things to be back at some point. And it’s our job, again, to extend the season so both those guys can get back.”

Doncic’s regular season ended Friday after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and by Saturday, the Lakers confirmed Reaves would also miss the remainder of the regular season with a Grade 2 oblique strain. In the span of two days, Los Angeles lost its top two backcourt scorers — a massive blow just weeks before the playoffs. Doncic and Reaves were the spine of the Lakers’ offense, combining for roughly 31% of the team’s touches this season, according to Second Spectrum.

There were signs of discomfort on both guards, yet the team proceeded to continue with them in the lineup. JJ Redick was clear that this decision came only after a medical clearance.

“When Austin came back, I asked directly. I thought he was hurt. No, he was medically cleared. There was nothing leading into that game that would suggest either of those guys were running hot, as we call it,” concluded Redick.

Doncic received extensive medical work on his hamstring during the halftime break. Despite this, the Slovenian was back on the floor in the third quarter. Then it was the non-contact injury where Luka was down on the floor, wincing in pain. Similarly, Austin Reaves had tweaked something on his left side during Thursday’s first half against the OKC Thunder.

It took a second MRI to confirm the Grade 2 left oblique injury, as the first one was botched. AR is out for four to six weeks, and Luka is sidelined for four to eight weeks. It’s obvious they need to alter their strategy, and the head coach is proactive about it.

JJ Redick is ready to change the game plan

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that the Lakers’ rotation can now potentially feature nine to eleven players. In fact, players previously who got no to limited minutes, Dalton Knecht, Kobe Bufkin, and Nick Smith Jr., could be part of the head coach’s plan. Even with Marcus Smart out, JJ Redick now turns to LeBron James to anchor everything with Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton stepping up for support.

“It went from a strategic tactical standpoint that we obviously were going to have to play a little bit differently,” Redick said on Saturday following the team practice. “There’s enough that we have in that we can play through LeBron, play through Luke, play through Rui, play through D.A.” As the coach expects Bron to lead, the 41-year-old also made it clear to teammates.

“There’s no filling it,” James said about replacing Doncic, in particular, on Saturday. “You don’t replace that or try to even fill that. I think it’s up to all of us, whoever’s in the lineup, to pick up our individual play and make plays together, figure out ways we can get stops, figure out ways we can get the ball moving from one side to the other side offensively.”

The locker room leader specified that with the missing firepower of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, it is more cautious for the team to avoid turnovers and limit the opposition’s fast-break points and offensive rebounds.