Luka Doncic and his first season in Los Angeles has been everything and nothing at the same time.
Individually, the superstar guard has been dominant, leading the NBA in scoring and commanding defensive attention every single night.
Collectively, the Lakers have struggled to turn that production into consistent wins, hovering around the middle of the Western Conference instead of separating themselves from the pack.
Los Angeles has shown flashes, but effort and execution over a full 48 minutes have been inconsistent.
One moment that summed up the Lakers’ recent frustration came in a loss to the Orlando Magic, when Doncic passed up an open three-pointer late in the game in hopes of creating a better look. The decision backfired, costing the Lakers a game they badly needed as the playoff race tightens.
Despite the uneven stretch, head coach JJ Redick has not wavered in his belief that Doncic understands what comes with being the centerpiece of a team with championship aspirations.
“He’s a major stakeholder,” Redick said. “I think with Luka, AR (Austin Reaves), LeBron (James), all those guys, there’s a, there’s a responsibility that comes with, with being the best players and, you know, Luka has accepted that responsibility and we’re, you know, we’re still a top six team in the West.
“Haven’t played great since the break. Got 20, whatever it is, 24 games to continue to search for that and find that level of consistency and togetherness that we’ve had at different touch points throughout the season. I told you guys this going into the break, we’re playing some really good basketball, trending in a lot of ways in a positive manner for some of the things that are necessary for us to be a winning team. We just, we just haven’t had it. We just haven’t had it since, since we got back from the break. I’m very confident in our group that we’re going to find it.”
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