Luka Doncic has been watching the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff run from the sidelines, and that is not expected to change anytime soon. The six-time All-Star has been sidelined since April 2, when he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during a regular-season game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Doncic missed the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, and there has been little progressive update on his recovery. As of writing, head coach JJ Redick said Luka Doncic has begun movement drills, while ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the team is evaluating him on a week-to-week basis and he is still not running.
Amid the Lakers’ playoff run, a rather flattering update involving Doncic emerged on Wednesday.
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The Athletic released the results of its annual NBA player poll, in which 3.7% of players voted Doncic as the most overrated player in the league. The list, which also included All-Stars like Ja Morant and Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, was topped by Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.
Sengun received 12.3% of the vote, with four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert coming in second (8.6%).
The most overrated section of our annual player poll has emerged as the most controversial.
Thoughts on Alperen Şengün coming in at No. 1? pic.twitter.com/OEnG25cbAP— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 6, 2026
Doncic made the list despite leading the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 33.8 points per game alongside 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists. The 27-year-old guard was a frontrunner for MVP before the injury derailed his season. He posted 30 or more points in 17 consecutive games at one point this season, the longest such streak since Wilt Chamberlain, and was widely considered to be having one of the most dominant individual stretches in recent NBA history.
As for his return, there is no definitive timeline. Redick has been deliberately vague at every press availability, offering positive updates on Doncic’s progress without committing to a specific window. At the moment, a second-round return remains the hope, but nothing has been confirmed.
In the meantime, the Lakers will look to regroup after dropping Game 1 to the Thunder, and will hope to steal Game 2 in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
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