Luka Doncic has entered playoff mode

Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers made a statement on Sunday night. Against the Western Conference leading OKC Thunder, Doncic was a basketball magician who toyed with his opponents. Emmet Ryan on why this indicates the Slovenian superstar has turned a corner at the right time in the NBA season.

It was the one question that hung in the air since the trade. How soon could Luka Doncic change the fortunes of the Los Angeles Lakers? On Sunday, the whole NBA got the answer. Doncic showed that he has adjusted fully to life beside LeBron James. Now, with the playoffs looming, he’s ready to deliver his best basketball.

Sunday Night’s Statement Game

Considering how many 60, 50, and 40 point outings there have been of late in the NBA, it seems a bit odd to get so excited by one 30 point game. Luka Doncic had a perfectly fine stat line for a star player. His 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists however hardly leap off the boxscore in the modern game.

The difference, of course, was how he got those stats. The Los Angeles Lakers star, it still feels weird saying that, set the tone early and pulled off some proper playground moves in this smackdown.

Defensively, he was a silent beast. The famed offensive might of the OKC Thunder was kept in check. Doncic dominated the tempo battle, never letting the Thunder get truly comfortable. That made the rest academic and he didn’t need the fourth quarter. He’d already made his point.

Adapting in Real Time

The numbers, as I’ve already said, don’t show everything but they’re still rather good. Luka Doncic is averaging 27.2 points, 7.8 assists, and 8.3 rebounds since joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

His usage rate is, of course, down because of the change in environment. When you’ve got LeBron James, not just arguably the best ever but also an outstanding ball handler and initiator, it changes the dynamic. For Doncic, it’s not so much about learning to share but realising he doesn’t have to.

That has enabled him to develop better chemistry with those around him. In the process, his brain is calculating how best to execute to give him his best shot at a NBA championship this season. The math might change in the summer. Right now, it’s about working out the best formula based on what is around him and adapting accordingly.

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The bigger picture

Much as Nico Harrison may go down as the most important Laker since Kobe Bryant, this is still quite the bizarre situation. Getting Luka Doncic was huge for LeBron James and company, no question. That’s beyond taken as read. That doesn’t mean it didn’t require adjustments on the part of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Anthony Davis may not have been the NBA force he once was but his role was clear and defined. Taking that out and inserting Doncic has forced the rest of the Lakers roster to adjust what they do. Granted, Luka being a fantastic facilitator helps.

Still, there are wafts of 2008 to this. The Pau Gasol trade was huge for the Lakers and got them to the NBA Finals. It didn’t get them over the line for another year. This move looks like it could bear fruit on the same timeline. The obvious issue however is how long will LeBron keep playing. He’s still putting up stellar numbers but he is surely starting to think about when he is going to stop.

That will give the mantle of leader to Luka, that’s not the issue. It’s how the Lakers manage the transition that matters most. Wherever Doncic has played basketball the last 5 or 6 years, be it the NBA or the Slovenia national team, he’s been the guy. What being the guy looks like is the debate.

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The Playoff Test

The upcoming edition of the NBA playoffs will be very different for Luka Doncic. We all know about last season. He was the Mavericks’ iron man. Doncic did absolutely everything and played top tier basketball beyond the point of exhaustion.

He won’t have to do quite the same with the Los Angeles Lakers. While the overall depth in LA is debatable, they have LeBron James and Dallas didn’t have him last season. That’s the easy part. Working out what that means for Luka’s game in a best-of-7 environment is where things get complex.

The West is brutal. Even the first round series is going to hurt like hell. It’s far from a guarantee the Lakers even get through it. For Doncic, he needs to be adapted to his role in time for that and then keep evolving. Should he do that, then a deep run is on. That’s the one similarity to last season. He needs to get through the first series and then just keep on surviving.

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