Luka Doncic has already agreed to play in two of the Los Angeles Lakers’ last four preseason games. His presence at this time speaks to his commitment level as the team continues to sort through their tough early season exit. Doncic went through all of Saturday’s practice after a week of no-contact work. His skills gained from a summer spent with Slovenia at EuroBasket only make the squad that much deeper.
As I write this, LeBron James is out of action due to sciatica on his right side. He has a re-eval in 3-4 weeks. While James provides vocal support from the bench, Doncic emphasizes the need for a “next man up” mentality in his absence. He and his fellow FIBA silver medalist and teammate Austin Reaves will have to lead a relatively young group in starting roles. In conjunction with Deandre Ayton, they will adjust to this team’s fluid and shifting culture.
I think that’s hopefully going to allow me to play, and not just finitely, have the pressure on me to do more.
“I don’t view it that way,” – Luka Doncic
Things aren’t going great for the Lakers this preseason. As it stands, they are now 0-2 after dropping defeats to the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. The team is filled with uncertainty as they prepare for their next game. JJ Redick went on to discuss how it is uncertain if Doncic will even be ready to face the Warriors.
Doncic doesn’t let the praise distract him from his work. He’s eager to take on any role, implement any strategy to help the team get a victory.
“I just want to play basketball. If I do less, if I do more, whatever it takes for me to get a win.” – Luka Doncic
Doncic and James had been in regular contact throughout training camp. They’ve been focused on developing strategies and establishing team chemistry, despite James’ absence. Engaging this way is important for building community as the Lakers continue adjusting to their big roster overhaul.
The Lakers’ coaching staff is earning their pay. They’re building an opening day lineup that’s good enough to win without their franchise player. To that end, Redick recognized the difficult road that lies ahead as the team looks to find a winning formula during the preseason.
“He’s a great player. He can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be ‘next man up.’ We got a group of guys that have been practicing and hopefully LeBron can join us as soon as possible. We are going to obviously need him. But our mentality has got to be ‘next man up.’ That’s it.” – Luka Doncic
As the preseason winds down, the Lakers hope to continue improving their chemistry and building the foundation of a strong on-court product moving forward. Doncic’s veteran presence and leadership both on and off the court will prove invaluable as the Mavericks navigate through this transitional period.
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