Lakers' Luka Dončić Finds His Rhythm Before Facing Mavericks: 'Every Day is Going to Get Better'
Luka Dončić leads the Lakers' win over the Nuggets and looks ahead to facing the Mavericks. As he adjusts to his new team, Dončić discusses team chemistry and championship goals.
LOS ANGELES — Just in time to face his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Dončić found his regular form to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 123-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Before facing Denver, Lakers head coach JJ Redick encouraged Dončić to have at least one “blackout moment” where he “screams at no one in particular” to channel the “killer” that Redick and the NBA world are accustomed to seeing Dončić be.
Dončić went on to drop an efficient 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals in 31 minutes against the Nuggets. He shot 10 of 22 from the floor while going 4 of 9 from beyond the arc while being perfect on all eight free throws. Coming off a performance with six turnovers, he bounced back with only one against Denver.
“I knew it was just going to come,” Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith said of Dončić finding his rhythm. “Knowing Luka, I shoot with him all the time, so I knew nothing (was) wrong with his shot. He hasn’t played for a while, so he ain’t played since Christmas. And guys want him to come back and be 30, 10, and 10, but it takes time. He’s human, and I’m just happy he found his rhythm.”
When reflecting on his performance, Dončić felt he had one of the blackout moments Redick was looking for and experienced a necessary joy on the court.
“Honestly, I think you could see it with me smiling on the court and having fun,” Dončić said. “JJ told me you gotta have one of those blackout moments like you have. I think I had one. I just felt like me a little bit, so I was happy.”
LeBron James noticed how locked in Dončić was but knew that once his step-back threes began to drop, it would fire him up. With 16 points in the first quarter alone, it was clear just how dialed in Dončić was.
“He was super dialed in,” James said of Dončić. “He was very locked in on what he wanted to do out here on the floor tonight. Once, he started hitting those step-back 3s and got to yelling and barking, either at the fans, at us, or himself. He had every right, I don’t think he said too much to get the T. They’re kind of picking on us right now with the short leash on technicals, but he got hit in the head before the half. But besides that, he was just dialed in on what he wanted to do and how he wanted to execute his game plan individually.”
Entering the matchup with a 4-7 record on the road against the Nuggets, Dončić hadn’t won a game at Ball Arena since Dec. 6, 2022. Given the Lakers' precision, he felt the game could be a significant confidence boost for the group.
“Great confidence. I don’t remember when was the last time I won here; it’s very tough to play here against that team,” Dončić said. “So to win like that, it’s an amazing win for us and gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
As the Lakers build with Dončić, they will focus on him as a focal point initiating the offense more frequently. Given the defensive attention that Dončić commands and his poise passing out of double teams, Los Angeles views his advantage creation as a tremendous asset in ways the Mavericks began to take for granted.
Even with Nikola Jokić playing up to the level in ball screen coverage, Dončić accepted the coverage. He often used his uncanny ability to look off defenders on the weak side, especially out of double-drag actions, to create open shots.
“He was great. He controlled the game when he had the ball in his hands, made some great decisions,” Redick said of Dončić. “I thought the way he handled the shock with Jokic up in pick-and-roll early, getting us good looks, getting Jaxson two layups. They had to go to other options.”
Redick detailed the Lakers’ plan to stagger minutes between Dončić, James, and Austin Reaves, maximizing opportunities. More emblematic of how Dončić approached the game before this season, he seemingly will be deployed as the battering rim to set the tone early, while James and Reaves will be leaned on more to lead plug-and-play groups within the flow.
“I think Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick said. “And [LeBron James] and [Austin Reaves], because we’re going to stagger everybody, they’re going to have their times to be on the ball. But all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players, and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in the blender. And a lot of times, that’s how we’re able to generate, I thought, some great looks in the first half — made some early and then went cold. We felt like we were getting good offense throughout the first half.”
Dončić acknowledged that he’s still learning the Lakers’ offensive terminology but has felt improvement in the process each day he’s been with the team. Dončić is more than willing to distribute the ball and trust his teammates on a talented team. In addition to his dynamic contributions, he was impressed at how it all came together in Denver. James finished with 25 points and five assists, Reaves totaled 23 points and seven assists, while Rui Hachimura chipped in 21 points and four assists.
“Every day is going to get better,” Dončić said. “I’m getting to learn the plays. Everybody has different names [for plays], but I’m getting to learn that. Us three, I think it depends on the day. Everybody has so much talent, so I think today the way we shared the ball was amazing, and the ball movement was amazing.”
A crucial part of the process is the commitment James has made to wanting Dončić to play his style of basketball and not to diminish.
"Just want him to be himself — when he gets back to himself," James told ESPN. "Obviously, he's been out since Christmas, and I think he told me or said it to us; that's the most he's ever been out since he started playing basketball because of an injury. Obviously, it's not going to happen overnight, but I believe that in order for us to ultimately be the team that we want to be with him here, he has to have the ball, he has to be able to put us all in position, he has to be him. The seven years that we've seen in the NBA with Luka, we want that Luka.
James even said that the Lakers need everyone to adjust their game to fit with Dončić, not vice versa. The consistent theme communicated to Dončić is that he should play his game, and the players around him will determine how to maximize their impact. Over time, Los Angeles is confident it will come together.
"So we all have to transform our game for the betterment of him, obviously. But it's not going to happen overnight. We know that,” James explained. “But my message has been, 'Just be you. You don't have to confine [your game] to us. We need to figure it out with you.' Whatever he needs, I'm here. So, whatever he needs."
By playing alongside Dončić, James understands he will benefit from the transcendent talent’s passing ability, leading to no shortage of favorable opportunities for him to capitalize. Whether he’s leaking out in transition, attacking a closeout, cutting, or getting a mismatch to attack, Dončić will leverage James’ talent.
"I'm a natural-born wide receiver, and he's a natural-born quarterback, so it fits perfectly," James said. He also explained how he’s been fine-tuning his catch-and-shoot jumper over the years to better fit with a talent like Dončić, saying, "I've worked on my outside shot and my catch-and-shoot game for quite a while now to be able to sync up with someone like Luka,” James told ESPN.
Dončić was eager to dish out James a lob, leading to a dunk before halftime in Denver. "I'm happy to get my first alley-oop with him," Dončić said. "Next time, he's going to throw it to me."
A significant element of the Lakers’ success against the Nuggets was their cohesive defensive execution. Dončić contributed to that, leveraging his size, wingspan, and instincts for making plays on the ball. While recording four steals and one block was impressive, contributions exceeded the box score. Los Angeles will look to maintain similar defensive intensity to turn teams over and get stops.
“It was a top-notch defensive game for [Dončić]. That was all our guys,” Redick said. “They battled, and they competed, and they executed at a really high level.”
With two days off before facing the Mavericks, the Lakers practiced Monday at the UCLA Health Training Facility in El Segundo. This was another opportunity for him to get comfortable with his new environment.
The Lakers have embraced Dončić but already have familiar faces that can help make the midseason transition more seamless. Dončić not only arrived with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in the trade, his former longtime Mavericks teammate Dorian Finney-Smith was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to Los Angeles before his arrival.
“I think just having familiar faces around is great for him,” Redick said. “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.”
While the Mavericks may have frequently leaked their discontent with conditioning, the Lakers have embraced the members of Dončić’s team who work with him on his body. At games and practices, trainer Anze Macek and physiotherapist Javier Barrio Calvo often observe Dončić’s on-court work and assist in his recovery and other work. Los Angeles holds their expertise in high regard, raising further questions about a disconnect between Dončić and the Mavericks.
The Lakers have rallied around Dončić ahead of their matchup against his former team, with Finney-Smith expressing excitement as the locker room sentiment.
“I think he’s going to be excited,” Finney-Smith said. “But everybody in the locker room is excited. We got his back.”
“I’m excited, man,” Finney-Smith added. “I know (Dončić is) going to be ready, but I try not to put too much pressure on him because, at the end of the day, we just want to get the win. We get the win. I know he’s going to be happy.”
Redick, who played 15 NBA seasons, understands what it’s like to face a former team for the first time. However, he has no concerns about Dončić.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Redick said. “Every day that he’s been with us, it’s becoming a little 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 OK.”
While much attention is placed on Dončić’s opportunity for revenge against the Mavericks, he holds much greater ambitions. With the Lakers’ 34-21 record ranked fourth in the West, winning a championship is his and the team’s only goal.
“Our goal is to win the championship, that’s our only goal,” Dončić said. “And I think we have the team for that. Obviously, the chemistry with me and the guys is going to take a little time, but as you saw today, I think it’s getting better and better.”
Dončić will tip off against the Mavericks for the first time in his NBA career on Tuesday at 9 p.m. CST, with the game held at Crypto.com Arena. Dončić’s return to the American Airlines Center is slated for April 9.
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