Luka Doncic has not gotten off to the hottest start since being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The former Dallas Mavericks star is averaging just 14.7 PPG and 4.0 turnovers while shooting 35.6% from the floor in his first three games since returning from a pretty serious calf strain. LA is a flawed team, but they’ve lost to the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets with Doncic in the lineup, a sign of how challenging the integration of Doncic has been.
LeBron James was asked about those challenges after Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets, but is understanding of how difficult it can be to pick things up mid-season.
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“He still doesn’t know all the plays. He doesn’t know all the defensive coverages, all the signals and things that we’ve built since September,” James said to the media. “So obviously, we’re trying to fast-track it on the fly. He’s coming back from his injury. He’s getting back into form. So we’re all working through it together.”
It can be a process to get any player to familiarize themselves with the team and vice versa, but this was trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, two of the top 15 players in the NBA. It’s going to take a lot of time for both teams to be confident in the systems they build around the players. The Lakers also have a rookie head coach in JJ Redick, and while he’s been impressive for a first-year coach, this is a major adjustment for him, too, as the Lakers don’t have a frontcourt presence.
Dallas looked great in its first three quarters with Anthony Davis, but he’s been dealing with an adductor strain that will keep him out for at least another two weeks. At least Doncic is on the floor, even if he hasn’t been playing that well so far.
