JJ Redick Says 'Everybody Wants to Play' Lakers in NBA Playoffs Amid Luka Doncic, Reaves Injuries

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick doesn't feel playoff opponents are afraid of playing his team now that Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have been sidelined by injury.

"I'm sure everybody wants to play us, let's get that out there. Everybody wants to play us," Redick said ahead of the Lakers' Friday night matchup with the Phoenix Suns. "There's probably teams that are in position where they can start looking forward to potential second-round matchups as well. We've seen some of those teams rest their entire lineup, basically.

"We can't be concerned with all of that... we have to figure out the formula and the belief for this group to be successful."

Dončić suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain during an April 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury usually takes at least multiple weeks to heal, per The Athletic's Dan Woike.

Reaves has been sidelined with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury. As of last Saturday, he was expected to miss four to six weeks, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Those absences have left the Lakers leaning on LeBron James down the stretch after earlier this season having Reaves and Dončić take over a larger portion of the team's ball-handling duties.

The Lakers are currently slated to play the Houston Rockets in the first round. Whichever team emerges victorious from that series will be on track to play either the West's No. 8 seed or the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who have already locked up their top seed and are resting key players down the stretch.

For now James, Redick and the Lakers will focus on their last two games of the season. How they and the Rockets perform down the stretch will determine which team ends up with first-round home court advantage.