When Lakers moved Luka Doncic from Dallas Maverick’s earlier this month as part of one of the most amazing business in North American professional sports history, the assumption was that Los Angeles would be a strength to count on once five-o’clock All-Star returned from a calf injury .
Certainly, a team that Charlotte Hornets would not give the mighty Lakers pass form.
But that was exactly what happened on Wednesday night, with Charlotte who fled from Los Angeles with a victory in 100-97.
Doncic did more harm than good for Lakers, only 5-for-18 went from the field and 1-for-9 from 3-point intervals on the way to 14 points. His 11 returns and eight assists ended up being empty statistics, compensated by six turnover and five personal fouls.
The only highlight roll Doncic was at was Hornets Guard Lamelo Ball’s, as the 25-year-old was put on skates at the top of the key, allowing the ball to walk into the lane and estimate a pass for Mark Williams for a gaming bond with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter.
Ball ended with 27 points, largely thanks to five three.
Each elapsed that Doncic had come in his 33 minutes of action, the most court he has arrived since he arrived at the Lakers. He played 24 minutes in his Los Angeles debut on February 10 before encountering 23 two nights later.
I’m not going to sit here and say it’s time to press the panic button yet. Three silent play from Doncic to start a Lakers career that can last for over a decade means nothing in the long term.
However, this would be a good time for Los Angeles fans to take off the rose-colored glasses and realize that this team may experience some serious growing pain. Having a player of Doncic’s caliber with his colleague Superstar Lebron James is a luxury, yes, but both will have to fine -tune their play style ever so little to make this thing work.
You would have thought that Lakers would never lose again based on how Los Angeles fans reacted when the news on Doncic first lost. Don’t misunderstand me – it was a completely valid reaction. However, there are errors in Doncic’s games. It was just hard to imagine that they would come out so early.
Doncic is not moving the needle right now. Hard reality, I know.
But, but, but there have been only three games? How can you grasp them so quickly? Well, when you pull off the biggest trade in league history to go out and get someone, that someone better plays damn good basketball as soon as their flight touches down in their new city.
It really has not been the case with Doncic, and Los Angeles has lost back-to-back games against Hornets and Utah Jazz because of it.
Simply hiring Doncic and James is not enough to win a title. Lakers are still a way away from discovering the formula that takes them to the promised country, and they will need Doncic to increase soon if they want to find it.
