While it would be fair to say that the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers was a massive shock, the fact that he made a telling contribution in his debut game is nothing short of predictable. The Slovenian superstar and five-time NBA All-Star was traded to the Lakers, with Anthony Davis moving in the other direction as one part of a multi-tiered deal, and you can be sure that the 25-year-old is going to prove a pivotal part of JJ Redick’s plans.
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Doncic became a superstar with the Dallas Mavericks, and there’s every chance he is just what the doctor ordered when helping the Lakers reassert themselves in the NBA title race. In his debut game, which came during a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz, Doncic combined well with his teammates, especially LeBron James. Doncic scored 14 points during his 23-minute run-out. He also managed five rebounds and four assists and discussed his performance afterward.
“I was a little nervous before, “I (don’t remember) the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court again, it was fun. Just being out there, it felt amazing. Just the amount of cheering there was in the arena was absolutely unbelievable,”
“That was my favorite part — and to play again.” Doncic added.
Coach Redick offered high praise for his new addition, stating,
“Knowing Luka, whether he will admit this or not, there was probably a little bit of nerves playing for the Lakers for the first time, and the anticipation that this building had, I thought he handled it really well, and he played really well tonight. … He didn’t make it about Luka. He made it about playing good basketball and playing Laker basketball.”
The Lakers are now 32-20 and sit at the top of the Pacific Division, a game up on the Clippers despite having played fewer times. This is Redick’s first season in charge, and he’ll be keen to make an immediate impact. He certainly has the talent in his locker room to charge deep into the postseason, but then the same can have been said of Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel (who struggled towards the end of his reign).
On the pairing up of Doncic and James, even the defeated Utah Jazz head coach, Will Hardy, was happy to see them in action.
“I don’t see any world where those two playing together isn’t a good thing, Their processing speed mentally is incredible, and so I’m sure they’ll figure it out,” he concluded.
Things have been a little topsy-turvy since the team won the NBA title in 2019/20, and for now, at least, there is a sense that another period of genuine progress and potential domination is not too far away.
