The blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers was one of the biggest shockers in the history of the NBA. That surprise also includes Doncic himself, who had no clue a trade was in the works and believed he would be with the Dallas Mavericks for the entirety of his career.
Now that he is in L.A., the job now falls on head coach JJ Redick to properly integrate Doncic into the team which is no simple feat. Doncic has played in three games with the Lakers and hasn’t quite looked like himself just yet, but Redick is confident that will soon change.
Redick noted that Doncic is expected to play in back-to-backs going forward after sitting out Thursday night’s game in Portland while also saying the the Lakers guard is over the mental shock of being traded and is now in a good place, via Dan Woike of the L.A. Times:
Doncic, who has appeared in three games since Christmas, is expected to play in back-to-backs moving forward, with Redick saying the team is just being cautious in the guard’s return from a calf strain.
“Speaking with him Tuesday night after practice, we sat down together. He’s all in,” Redick said of Doncic. “He’s [over] the mental part of the shock and everything, he’s in a really good place. And now we’ve got to get him physically where he needs to be to be Luka.”
No matter how talented a player is, if they aren’t completely there mentally it is a hard thing to overcome. Anyone in Doncic’s position would struggle with that shock of being traded, but it sounds as if it has finally set in that he is a member of the Lakers and can now work towards establishing that chemistry with his new team.
Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves have the potential to be one of the most unstoppable offensive trios in the NBA with their ability to attack and create. As Redick noted, the Lakers still have to get Doncic back physically after his return from a calf strain, but they will be hitting that full force which will only lead to good things overall.
Doncic playing in back-to-backs is also especially notable because the Lakers still have seven left in what is a very difficult second-half schedule.
Lakers’ Luka Doncic admits to still dealing with rustiness
Luka Doncic sat out the Lakers’ Thursday night win in Portland, but the prior night he struggled against the Hornets, shooting just 5-of-18 from the field. Afterwards, he admitted to still trying to shake off the rust after so much time off due to injury.
“Yeah, obviously, it’s going to take a little time,” Doncic said. “Today was a lot of rustiness on my part. Starting the game with four or five turnovers, that can’t happen. Just gotta play basketball the right way.”
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