Luka Doncic is thriving in his first full season with the LA Lakers after his February trade from Dallas. The guard looks rejuvenated in Los Angeles, and basketball analyst Rachel DeMita perfectly summed up the difference between this version of him and his Mavericks days.
In an Instagram clip on Sunday, DeMita highlighted the contrast in Doncic’s play with the Lakers and Mavericks, wondering if the trade was the best thing that could’ve happened to him.
“Luka getting traded to LA might have been the best thing for his career. The worst thing ever to happen to Mavs fans, but quite possibly the best thing that happened to Luka,” she said.
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“We are seeing him play with a chip on his shoulder now, which is quite frightening. He is currently averaging 40 points per game … These kind of numbers haven’t been put up since 1986 and on top of that the Lakers actually look surprisingly good this year.”
DeMita highlighted how the Lakers sit within the upper echelon of teams in the West, while the Mavs sit at the bottom of the pile.
“Unfortunately, on the flipside, you have the Dallas Mavericks at the very bottom of the Western Conference. But I do wonder if Luka never got traded, would he have made this next leap?” DeMita continued.
The Slovenian has become an integral part of the Lakers’ offense and continues to evolve as a player. In six games this season, Doncic is averaging 40.0 points, 11.0 assists and 9.2 rebounds.
Luka Doncic shines with another double-double despite the Lakers’ winning streak ending
The LA Lakers’ five-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday with a blowout 122-102 loss at the Atlanta Hawks. However, Luka Doncic continued his fine play, recording his sixth double-double in a row.
The All-Star continued his run of having a double-double in all appearances this season with 22 points and 11 assists in 27 minutes while shooting 41.2% at Atlanta.
With the Lakers (7-3) sitting fourth in the Western Conference, they will hope the Slovenian continues to lead the way. The loss to the Hawks marked the start of their five-game road trip, as they aim to build on their solid 4-1 away record.
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Edited by Arian Kashyap
