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JJ Redick Offers Update on Luka Doncic's Minutes Restriction Ahead of Lakers-Hornets

Doncic will compete in his third contest as a Laker on Wednesday night.

Madison Williams

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic poses for photos with general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic poses for photos with general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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Luka Doncic has played two games as a Los Angeles Laker since being traded in a blockbuster move from the Dallas Mavericks earlier this month.

Doncic has been recovering from a calf injury he suffered on Christmas Day, causing him to miss over a month of action. Because of his injury, Doncic played limited minutes in his first two contests as a Laker. He played a total of 47 minutes, still scoring 30 points and logging nine rebounds and eight assists in that span.

The 25-year-old superstar will no longer be on a minutes restriction Wednesday night vs. the Charlotte Hornets as the Lakers return to action following the All-Star break. Lakers coach JJ Redick admitted the time off enabled Doncic to get the rest he needed to continue his recovery.

"He'll be fine," Redick said Tuesday, via ESPN. "That extra five, six days of All-Star break was good for him. His minutes will be up [Wednesday], and I don't think that there's going to be any sort of restrictions going forward."

This is great news for Lakers fans as they'll now get to see Doncic at his full capacity on the court. In 22 games with the Mavericks this season, Doncic averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists.

The Lakers are also optimistic that LeBron James will be available to play Wednesday after he missed the final game before the break and even missed the All-Star Game with an injury, ending his 20-year streak of participation in the game.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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