It has been one month since the Los Angeles Lakers stunned the NBA by acquiring superstar guard Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. Nobody saw the move coming — most around the NBA expected Doncic to spend the balance of his career in Dallas and fortify his tie to the organization by signing a five-year, $345 million supermax contract extension this coming summer.
But the trade took the supermax option off the table for Doncic. Now in Los Angeles with unfamiliar teammates — including NBA legend LeBron James — Doncic has had to adjust, a process made all the more difficult by sharing the ball with James and by continuing to progress from an injury that ruled him out for six weeks.
Doncic: I’m feeling more and more like myself
Speaking to reporters following the Lakers‘ 106-102 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Doncic — who celebrated his 26th birthday on Friday — recognized that his transition from Dallas to LA has not been easy, but he’s learning the ropes as he goes along, powering the Lakers to five consecutive wins in the process.
“I think the first thing I noticed was how connected they play on both ends of the floor,” Doncic said. “The ball is moving and that’s the first thing I learned or watched the first time. For me, it was just trying to fit in with a little bit of different basketball than I’m used to. But since I’ve been back, they just let me be me and I got a long way to go, but slowly I’m starting to feel like myself.”
Doncic has played just 29 games this season, and he missed a month and a half with a calf strain. He was getting set to return to action when he was notified that the Mavericks were moving him to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis — amid concerns that Doncic was not taking care of himself physically.
But Doncic’s comfort in Los Angeles is growing more and more evident, despite the financial ramifications and the psychological shock associated with the unexpected trade. He scored 31 points against the Clippers, and the Lakers are mere percentage points behind the Denver Nuggets for the #2 seed in the Western Conference.
