Luka Doncic is making progress in his recovery from a strained left hamstring, but the Lakers star is nowhere near a full return.
Doncic revealed that he has started running again but is not yet cleared to work, speaking to reporters in Oklahoma City for the first time since suffering the injury late in the regular season.
“Yes, I’m running. Right now I’m running, but I haven’t connected anything,” he told reporters in Oklahoma City.
The injury has already sidelined Doncic for the entire playoff run for the Lakers, and while there was hope he could return at some point during the season, that timeline now seems unlikely.
Doncic admitted that this recovery process is very different from the issue he faced earlier this year.
“I feel good. Obviously this is a different injury than I’ve ever had,” Doncic said. “It’s the second time I’ve had a hamstring injury, but the first time it was very low at the end of January. So it’s taken a long time to recover. But I’m feeling good, I’m exercising every day and I’m trying to come back.”
The Lakers are expected to remain vigilant with their cornerback base given Doncic’s long-term importance to the organization. Still, Doncic has made it clear that he is doing everything he can to speed up the recovery process without risking further injury.
“I’m doing everything I can, like I said, every day I’m doing the things I have to do… The doctors said eight weeks before the first MRI,” he said. “So I’m just going day by day and feeling better every day.”
Part of that recovery process includes a long trip to Spain for specialized treatment, something Doncic detailed Wednesday.
“I went to Spain to do PRP,” said Doncic. “Obviously everyone knows it’s one of the best countries to do that. And obviously we talked to the Lakers doctors, everyone agreed to go there. Obviously I know a lot of people in Spain that I used to work with before.”
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