Superstar Luka Dončić could be an X-factor for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA playoffs, but he pulled his hamstring in a loss to the Thunder earlier this month. Dončić, he suffered a grade 2 strain, which is considered more serious and often needs at least four to six weeks for a full recovery. That's a timeline for a normal person with a job and general existence that doesn't require playing explosive, high-level, professional basketball.So: Will he play in the series against the Houston Rockets?

At this point, Dončić will have had only about two weeks to heal from his hamstring injury, and he recently went to Europe for "specialized" treatment on his injury. But Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn't have a specific timeline for Dončić earlier this week. Redick said he's out indefinitely.

Perhaps Dončić could return to the Lakers' lineup under more comfortable health circumstances in late April or early May. But that would require the Lakers not only to extend their opening playoff series to its full length of seven games, but also to win it to advance to the second round. Accomplishing that task will be a challenging task without their best player.This article originally appeared on For The Win: Luka Doncic injury update: When Lakers star will return in NBA playoffs