The NBA playoffs are just around the corner and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is putting his team in a great position to make a run. L.A. is currently riding an eight-game winning streak, and Doncic is playing at an MVP level to completely shift the vibes from earlier in the year.
Whether they have moved into contention status remains to be seen, but it cannot be ruled out given this recent stretch. Golden State Warriors four-time champion Draymond Green praised the 26-year-old’s play and acknowledged there is a chance Los Angeles can win a title this year, via The Draymond Green Show:
“Luka has been playing absolutely incredible. Ironically, the Lakers have been playing absolutely incredible. Ironically, DeAndre Ayton’s been playing better, ironically, Marcus Smart’s been playing better. Because that is the magic of Luka Doncic. Luka at the top of his game makes everyone around him better. So, you ask yourself how dangerous can they be in the playoffs? And a part of me wants to say not very dangerous at all, but the other side of me knows better. You got Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the court at the same time. You have a chance, always, against anyone.”
Green mentioned Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton as key contributors, looking like X-factors for the Lakers with their recent play. Having Smart as a defensive leader has proven to be valuable and Ayton coming to terms with his role drastically improved his play.
As much as Doncic has shouldered the team’s offense, role players have stepped up, which previously was not a strength of the team. Despite recent offensive struggles, Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia and Rui Hachimura give the team some solid depth off the bench.
If a team gets hot at the right time, they could make an unlikely postseason run, similar to the 2024 Dallas Mavericks. Doncic propelled that team to an NBA Finals appearance and maybe that magic could repeat itself should L.A. finish the regular season strong.
Magic Johnson: Luka Doncic is most unguardable player in NBA
There is no denying that Doncic deserves to be in the MVP conversation after his recent stretch of games. While it remains unlikely Doncic will win the award, he has played an integral role in turning the outlook of the Lakers’ season.
Having to face the All-NBA guard in a seven-game series does not sound like fun for opponents and Magic Johnson shared a similar notion by calling Doncic the most unguardable player in the NBA.
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