Luka Doncic has given the Los Angeles Lakers and its fanbase a renewed sense of joy and excitement as his presence ensures the storied franchise will have its next face following LeBron James’ retirement.
The first few games of Doncic’s time in Los Angeles didn’t go quite as planned as he struggled shooting the basketball and limiting turnovers as he learned his new teammates. However, Doncic finally broke out of his slump against the L.A. Clippers to lead them to a 108-102 win on Sunday night.
Doncic led the Lakers in scoring with 29 points, going 9-of-17 from the field and 5-of-12 from the 3-point line. He looked a lot more comfortable on the floor early, though he walked back to the locker room at the end of the first quarter due to what looked like a leg injury.
While Doncic was able to return, he was clearly still affected by whatever he was dealing with. After the game, he revealed he was dealing with a knee issue.
“It was on the fall, I think,” Doncic said, referring to when he was fouled has by Kris Dunn late in the first quarter. “Just a little tight. But then I got kneed in the knee. Third straight game in the same spot, so kind of struggle on that right leg. But I’m good.”
Doncic was forced to miss over a month of time due to a calf injury and while he sounded confident he was feeling healthier, he acknowledged he didn’t expect to be so rusty.
“Throughout my whole career, this is the longest I’ve been out, so I didn’t expect that much rust. As you could see in the first couple games. But now it is better. I obviously didn’t expect it.”
While Doncic may be a little banged up, the Lakers have now won six straight games, which is helping him deal with the pain.
“Yeah, today I felt a little bit more comfortable. As long as we get the win, which is six in a row, so that is what this is about,” Doncic said.
It was encouraging to see Doncic resemble himself more on the court, from a production and personality standpoint. Getting traded is never easy, and coupled with Doncic’s calf injury it’s easy to see why he struggled out of the gate.
However, it appears Doncic is rounding into form which should spell trouble for the rest of the league.
Luka Doncic starting to feel like himself
The Lakers have done everything they can to ensure Luka Doncic’s transition to his new team is as seamless as possible, and so far it looks like it’s working. Each game, Doncic looks more comfortable in his new environment and he backed that notion when he said he’s starting to feel more like himself.
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