The Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic has turned out to be a huge success. Well, there is no surprise there. While initial detractors had claimed that he and LeBron James would be unable to gel in time for the side to mount a serious playoff run this year, their combined stats tell a different story.
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The Lakers have an 8-3 record in the 11 games LeBron and Doncic have played together. The two have an almost equal share of the production load too with the King averaging 26 points per game and Doncic a close 25. It’s evident that the two stars are working well together.
However, the Lakers have one of the toughest and most loaded schedules in the NBA, leaving them with hardly any time to get in some practice runs. Highlighting this, LeBron told Scott Van Pelt a couple of weeks ago that the players never got a chance to get accustomed to the new-look squad. After Wednesday night’s win over the Denver Nuggets, Doncic brought up this shortcoming too.
While acknowledging it to Van Pelt, Doncic added that he and the team were able to find ways to make things work despite the jam-packed schedule.
“Yeah, we basically have no practice,” he said. “We don’t have time to practice. We’ve played six games in eight days, so it’s impossible to practice. Obviously, it’s been tough because, in practice, you get chemistry, so it’s nice to figure that out.”
Luka’s comment on chemistry surely invokes intrigue. If the Lakers, with their near seamless offensive engine and defensive mentality, are still in the process of building chemistry, then what will it look like when they finally have it?
LeBron’s absence from a groin injury is a net negative for the team. But then, it has helped Doncic settle into the role as the team’s first option. In the last few games, he has averaged 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Doncic has also managed to establish a working relationship with Jaxson Hayes, who is the archetype of a big man that the Slovenian enjoys playing with.
Hayes is putting up some of the best numbers of his career at the moment. In the six outings with Luka in March so far, Hayes has averaged 12.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. And his rim-rushing capabilities have made the Lakers not miss Anthony Davis’ fearsome paint presence as much.
With the Lakers still fighting for the No. 2 seed, their title chances hinge on whether or not they can get favorable matchups and avoid the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs for as long as possible. Doncic, however, doesn’t seem too bothered by that.
He lives by the “next game up” mentality. The star is just looking to help the Lakers by staying in the present, rather than letting the permutations surrounding the playoffs throw him off his game.
