Luka Doncic, once the face of the Mavericks and the heart of Dallas basketball, will take on his former team for the first time since the shocking trade that sent him to Los Angeles just weeks ago.

As all eyes will be on the Slovenian superstar who will be in purple and gold, Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared that he has complete faith in Doncic in the highly anticipated showdown.

JJ Redick has he has faith in Luka Doncic as he is set to face his former team Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic’s departure from Dallas sent shockwaves through the NBA community. Fans protested the trade, and chants of “Fire Nico” targeted Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison. The decision to move on from Doncic, who had led the team to the NBA Finals last season, was met with fierce criticism, making this first face-off an emotional event.

While Tuesday’s game is in Los Angeles, the real fireworks are expected when the Lakers visit Dallas on April 9. Mavericks fans will finally get their chance to welcome Doncic back.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick understands the emotions of facing a former squad. He acknowledges the difficulty of the situation but believes Doncic will be fine.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Redick said, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. “Every day that he’s been with us, it’s becoming just a little bit more normal.

I’ve been there. The first time you play your old team, particularly this close in time duration, it’s going to be weird. But he’ll be able to handle it.”

Redick also revealed Doncic’s ability to adapt to change, “I think just having familiar faces around is great for him. You never know though, because you’re talking about a guy who left home as a teenager to go to Madrid in a different country and learn how to speak Spanish on his own.

Like, he’s a different dude. But I think for him, given the magnitude of the change of scenery, I think having us around to help support him, I think has been great.”

Doncic isn’t alone in his transition to the Lakers. Several of his former Dallas teammates, including Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris, are now alongside him in Los Angeles. Finney-Smith, one of Doncic’s closest friends, is particularly eager to see how he performs against the Mavericks.

“I think he’s going to be excited, but everybody in the locker room is excited. We got his back. It’s gonna be a hard-fought game,” Finney-Smith said. “We know Jason Kidd is gonna have them ready to come in and compete. We just gotta match their intensity.”

Also Read: Orlando Magic coach’s recollection of Luka Doncic’s work ethic shows big Dallas Maverick loss after shocking NBA trade

The Mavericks have promising young talent in Max Christie who was also acquired in the trade. The absence of Anthony Davis due to injury has been concerning but for now, Tuesday night’s game will be an early indicator of where the Lakers and Mavericks stand post-trade.