LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
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LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
We’re fast approaching the one-year anniversary of the trade that landed Luka Doncic with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Since acquiring Doncic in that bombshell deal, Rob Pelinka has sought to build out a roster that brings the best out of the superstar 26-year-old guard. And while that’s still a work in progress, LeBron James believes Doncic is growing into his role as the featured star of the most popular basketball team in the world.
“A new level to his game, I think the most important is just his comfort,” LeBron said of Doncic following the Lakers’ 116-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks. “…I think the biggest thing this year is he’s just a little bit more comfortable. Understanding the system, understanding the city, the city embracing him. I understand that this is his team. We’re all rallying around him. Obviously, we know it’s an emotional and big game. When you come back and play your former team. And he showed why he is who he is right now.”
There was never any doubt that Doncic could shoulder the expectations and pressure that come with being the Lakers’ star talent. However, he will need the right supporting cast around him in order to be successful. The Lakers clearly have some key building blocks in place, but further tweaks are needed.
Doncic Urged To Trust Lakers Teammates
Following the Lakers’ 112-104 loss to the LA Clippers, head coach JJ Redick singled out Luka Doncic for some much-needed criticism. Redick’s focus was on Doncic’s willingness to trust his teammates and play as part of a unit.
“There’s got to be a trust factor with all our guys,” Redick said. “Just trust the pass. That starts with Luka. He’s going to have the ball the most of everyone, and he’s got to trust the pass when it gets to him. When he’s playing in a crowd, he’s got to pass the ball. As much as we can talk about being connected on defense, you’ve got to be connected on offense.”
Doncic appeared to heed that criticism during the Lakers’ win over Dallas. He produced an elite performance. In 39 minutes of playing time, he ended the night with 33 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. He shot 53.3% from the field and 37.5% from deep.
Lakers Unlikely To Make Big Tweaks Until Summer
While the Lakers are still multiple moves away from having a perfectly optimized roster for Doncic’s skill set, they’re not expected to make any defining moves ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. In fact, a recent article from The Athletic’s Dan Woike and Christian Clark revealed that the Lakers may view the Feb. 5 trade deadline as somewhat of a stopgap.
“Lakers sources have referenced the time it took for Dallas to build out its most optimized rosters around Dončić,” Woike and Clark reported. “No potential move the Lakers make at the deadline will check more than one of those boxes. Some around the team believe the real work will happen in the summer.”
However, if Doncic continues to perform like he did against Dallas, the Lakers should still have a chance to compete for a championship this season, especially if he and LeBron can remain healthy.