Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is heading into the All-Star break with two games under his belt both with his new franchise and after missing six weeks due to a calf injury. Doncic certainly wasn’t his usual self in his first two games as a Laker, both being on a minutes restriction and still trying to figure out his rhythm with a new roster.
So for him, the All-Star break may have come at the perfect time. With his injury taking out a large portion of his season, Doncic was not named an All-Star this year. That means he has a full six days between games, the exact type of break that hugely helped LeBron James earlier this season.
Doncic spoke after L.A.’s loss to the Utah Jazz in the final game before the break, saying how he felt about his performance and what he’s looking forward to with the time off, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I think we can go very far. Obviously today I felt very rusty, only two games in from my injury. Turnovers, missed free throws, I can do way better. But now I think we’re approaching this break, so we gotta rest. For me, I think it’s more of a mental rest that anything else. But still gotta work. I’m excited about this break and I can’t wait to get back to play.”
After everything that’s happened with Doncic over the last couple weeks, he’s excited for the All-Star break, but not for the physical recovery:
“Like I said, just mental break for me. Workout and just try to have some fun with the family.”
It’s tough to imagine how the last two weeks have gone for Doncic, going from franchise icon in Dallas to being traded without warning and having to move to Los Angeles with his family. The emotional and physical toll of that is certainly great, so the six days off came at the perfect time.
Hopefully when the break ends, Luka can be back to his usual self both physically and mentally as he prepares for a new journey as the face of the Lakers franchise.
Luka Doncic says calf felt good in first two games
Luka Doncic admitted he was rusty in his first two games, but that his calf felt good. It’s a good sign for the Lakers as they work to get Doncic more acclimated to L.A. and the franchise.
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