Luka Dončić will face his former team for the first time since the trade (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, he gives his take on Luka Dončić’s start with the Lakers.
Which version of Luka Dončić will we see when he faces his former team for the first time since trading him?
Will we see the Luka that labored with his conditioning and rust after sitting for nearly 1 ½ months to heal from a strained left calf? Or will we see the Luka that seemed unleashed with a recently lifted minutes restriction?
Will we see the Luka that spent his first three games with the Los Angeles Lakers struggling through a shooting slump? Or will we see the Luka that made clutch shots this past Saturday against the Denver Nuggets?
Will we see the Luka that dazzled the Lakers with his timely passes to LeBron James? Or will we see the Luka that threw passes that either went out-of-bounds or bounced off his unprepared teammates?
Maybe all of the above?
Anything seems possible when the Lakers (34-21) host the Mavericks (31-27) on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. Considering recent history both with his unexpected trade and the four games he has played with the Lakers since then, expect that Dončić will have a break-out revenge game.
In the Lakers’ win over the Nuggets on Saturday, Dončić provided even more than a balanced performance (32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals) and shooting efficiency (10-for-22 overall, 4-for-9 from deep). He gave encouraging developments on why he will most certainly help the Lakers long-term as their next generational star. He even signaled that he could become the Lakers’ short-term solution as a dangerous playoff contender.
Dončić no longer has played with the forlorn demeanor he displayed after the Mavericks dealt him despite guiding them to last season’s NBA Finals and collecting five All-NBA First team honors in his first seven NBA seasons. Instead, Dončić displayed the fiery emotions that has made him one of the NBA’s most respected competitors.
Dončić no longer appears as rusty as he did in his first three games when he seemed hobbled with his conditioning, his recently healed left calf and the team’s playbook. After sitting in the second night of back-to-back against Portland, Dončić displayed improved shooting accuracy, better-placed passes and even a stronger commitment to defense.
Dončić no longer gave mixed messages on who should be the team’s No. 1 option moving forward.
It starts and ends with himself. Dončić will manage most of the ball-handling duties. He will take the majority of the team’s shots. James will willingly cede that workload because he remains a pass-oriented player. That will also give James the best chance to battle Father Time. Unlike when he played with Russell Westbrook and D’Angelo Russell, James will trust Dončić’s decision-making more.
In other words, any hope the Mavericks had that Dončić would feel vindicated for any short-term struggles seems as foolish as the trade itself. While Anthony Davis remains sidelined with a strained left adductor, Dončić has made encouraging progress with both his recovery and with his conditioning. Though Dončić initially pressed with his shooting and passing, he did so out of hopes to help the Lakers win more than just trying to pad his own stats. The Lakers may have season-long issues with their lack of frontcourt depth, but they have made up for it with the team’s offensive balance.
Granted, the Lakers haven’t become championship contenders yet. The Oklahoma City Thunder have superior depth with an MVP favorite (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and perimeter defenders worthy of First-Team consideration (Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams) that they could even absorb Chet Holmgren’s uncertain availability. The Lakers will have to prove that their defensive effort can sustain. Although well intentioned, James and Dončić could experience tactical adjustments with determining who takes the final shot and when each should become either a scorer or playmaker.
Don’t expect any of those issues to arise, however, against the Mavericks.
Dallas has gone 7-6 since dealing Dončić amid overlapping injuries with Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and PJ Washington Jr. They currently can’t take exert the size and defensive advantage they normally would have against the Lakers. James and his teammates will try to set strong screens to open up looks for him and to cut hard so they can become worthy options off of double teams. Redick has already determined that Dončić will primarily oversee the team’s offense. Laker fans will shower him with cheers in the same welcoming nature in his first two home games with them.
After Dallas suggested that Dončić conditioning and durability gave them pause about granting him a supermax extension this summer, Dončić has plenty of motivation to show those issues are exaggerated.
Just like in his Lakers’ debut, Dončić may press so he can seize the moment. Regardless, Dončić’s talent and competitive edge will likely have what Redick coined “a blackout episode” at his former team’s expense.
Mark Medina
