NBA coach throws major shade at Lakers roster while praising Luka Doncic's historic start originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt a major setback on Sunday as superstar Luka Dončić was diagnosed with a sprained left finger and lower leg contusion that will keep him sidelined for at least a week, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

After a summer spent getting into top shape, excelling at EuroBasket and settling into Los Angeles, Dončić has become the fourth player in NBA history to begin a season with back-to-back 40-point performances — and he barely missed a triple-double twice, too.

The Lakers will rely more heavily on Dončić in the early going with LeBron James on the shelf due to sciatica. James is reportedly targeting a mid-November season debut, which gives Dončić about a month of runway as the unquestioned leader of the Lakers' lineup.

After Dončić came just shy of 50 points in Friday night's win over the Timberwolves—having missed the mark over a missed free throw before exiting the game—Reaves trolled the future Hall of Famer with a hilarious comment on Instagram.

Lakers star Luka Dončić injury has him ruled out for Sunday's matchup with the Kings. He will be re-evaluated in 1 week.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić scored 49 points in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday, setting a franchise record with 92 points over his first two games of the season.

Dončić became the first player in NBA history to begin the season with consecutive 40-point, 10-rebound and 5-assist games.