Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has had a one-of-a-kind rookie season, and now gets the opportunity to coach Luka Doncic and LeBron James. With Doncic expected to make his highly anticipated debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz, Redick possesses an exciting opportunity.
Obviously, there will be pressure to win regardless of how long James decides to play. But it is great to have a five-time All-NBA player on the roster moving forward.
Despite speculation about their on-court fit, James and Doncic are remarkable playmakers who can do it all offensively. This duo will generate popularity, and Redick hopes Doncic’s home country of Slovenia will become a fan after this blockbuster deal.
“Slovenian fans are more than welcome. We hope the entire country becomes Lakers fans,” Redick said. “I know that there’s a real pride that every player in the NBA has for their country and representing their country in international competition. Luka, Jokic, all those guys, they play damn near every summer in some form of competition. It’s not because someone is making them do it, it’s because they love representing their country. And the sort of symbiotic relationship that the fans create with that player is special.”
With the 25-year-old only coming over to the Lakers after the midway point of the season, it will take time to gel with James and the rest of the team. However, seeing how unselfish both stars are, those concerns could be quickly silenced, specially with Doncic taking a fair share of the ball-handling duties off of the 40-years-old James.
It will be interesting to monitor how Austin Reaves handles everything as he transitions this year into an on-ball creator as he may return to playing off-ball more. Nonetheless, the entire NBA world will be monitoring the Lakers with Doncic now in the fold, and having a global audience with Slovenians watching their icon is special.
Luka Doncic receives huge ovation from new home fans
Anticipation is mounting for Luka Doncic to make his Lakers debut. Despite not playing yet, the newest L.A. star has supported his new team by sitting on the bench to watch during games. On Thursday, Doncic made his first appearance to Crypto.com Arena as a Laker and he received a huge ovation from his new fanbase.
When he takes the court to play on Monday, the ovation should be even bigger for Doncic and his new teammates.
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