Medical Analysis: Austin Reaves’ hamstring injury and return timeline, explained

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Austin Reaves has come a long ways in a short time, from undrafted rookie — he reportedly asked the Detroit Pistons not to draft him so he could sign with the Lakers — to summer league standout, to becoming a key piece of the team’s early season rotation.

With the team struggling with early season injuries, the University of Oklahoma alum impressed to the point that head coach Frank Vogel has trusted him with heavy minutes, including playing him down the stretch of key games.

However, Reaves picked up an injury of his own this week, with the first team listing him as questionable for yesterday’s game vs the Miami Heat with a “hamstring strain” (guard Rajon Rondo was listed with the same injury and denomination as well). Both players ended up missing the game, but in Reaves case, further assessment yesterday revealed an overt strain with reevaluation coming in two weeks.

But just how long could the rookie be out? Was there any foreshadowing that this might happen? Are there any concerns when he does get back? I answered those questions in the following video:

The Lakers will have to hold the fort down with yet another rotation player going down and the “next man up” mantra will be uttered yet again by both players and coaching staff. The hope is that there’s good news in two weeks for Reaves, and perhaps the team will get Talen Horton-Tucker back in the near future as well (for more on the latter’s return to play process and timeline, watch this).

Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own in-person and online sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA in which he further combines his movement expertise and fitness training. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 4 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), has a background in youth basketball coaching and analyzes the Lakers from a medical and skills perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and on his own YouTube Channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @3cbPerformance.