The Lakers, at least, have had one brief, shining moment in the days since they pulled off the shocking trade that brought Luka Doncic from Dallas to L.A. for a package highlighted by Anthony Davis. They beat the Utah Jazz in Doncic’s debut more than a week ago.
Since then, the team has lost the rematch against the lowly Jazz, rescinded a trade made for a big man to help balance the roster (and ticked off rookie Dalton Knecht, the main player they were shipping out in the process, and lost a makeup game to the Hornets, also a lowly bunch, on their home floor on Wednesday night in a makeup game.
Doncic has, in three games with the Lakers, averaged 14.7 points on 35.6% shooting and 20.8% 3-point shooting. There are, it seems, two problems with his entry into Lakerland, and neither is very good news for Doncic, certainly not in terms of his short-term future. But the long-term is a concern, too.
Luka Doncic Not 100% Healthy
On Thursday morning, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania spoke on the situation Doncic is facing in L.A., and pointed out two problems that have become evident. One, he is not healthy, and the calf injury that kept him out since Christmas before his recent return is still a worry. And, two, Doncic is still dealing with the fact that the Mavs actually chose to trade him and can’t quite figure out how to fit in with LeBron James and his new teammates.
“Luka Doncic obviously is still working himself into basketball shape. And let’s remember, he has played three games since Christmas,” Charania said on “Get Up.” “That calf injury, which had become worrisome in the eyes of the Mavericks, that calf injury had sidelined him for the most significant point of his entire career, and so he’s rehabbed it. He’s back on the floor. We’re gonna see gradual steps.”
Of course, concerns about conditioning and Doncic’s commitment to keeping himself healthy have been cited as the driving force behind the Mavericks’ desire to deal Doncic. If he struggles to bounce back from the injury, it will be some validation for Dallas and much-maligned GM Nico Harrison.
Lakers 5th in the Western Conference
But there is also the problem of Doncic simply finding his role on this Lakers team, especially playing with LeBron James. More than that, though, the culture shock of coming to a new team after being the poster child for Mavs hoops since he was drafted at age 19 is still affecting him.
“It’s gonna take him some time,” Charania said. “From what I’ve kept hearing around Luka Doncic, over the last couple of weeks has just been the word, ‘shell-shocked,’ and that’s been the vibe around him since the trade.”
There isn’t much time to cope with that in the schedule, however. Doncic and the Lakers will play again on Thursday as they travel to Portland. They’re currently fifth in the West, but just 2.5 games ahead of Minnesota, who could knock them into the play-in tournament.
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