Luka Doncic has started to thrill Los Angeles

The NBA’s first unwritten rule: you’d be well and truly in trouble – basketball-wise – if you were to rile a star player like Luka Doncic. For months, he has been the target of endless criticism. He was labeled overweight, lazy on defense, and unable to pull the Lakers out of the quicksand, while Jalen Brunson—his backup during his time in Dallas—was leading the New York Knicks toward a historic championship victory. Here’s the thing: whilst insiders have blatantly underestimated Brunson’s quality for far too long, we mustn’t make the opposite mistake by wondering whether we’ve overrated Doncic. Quite the contrary. It is Luka himself who is dispelling any doubts, with a series of furious, overwhelming performances that have been setting American courts alight for days. He is rewriting every record: 308 points in his first eight games of the season – five more than Michael Jordan in 1988/89 – second only to the unrivalled Wilt Chamberlain. And that is not all. In his last six games, the 27-year-old Slovenian has averaged over 40 points, 8 rebounds and as many assists, shooting well over 50 per cent from the field. An impressive run, driven by a single intention: to reclaim the NBA in his own right.

Since arriving in Los Angeles a year and a half ago, Doncic has struggled to do so – partly due to a long-term injury. And whilst, from a commercial perspective, teaming up with LeBron James has been a godsend for the franchise, things have not gone quite so well on the court. The Lakers were firmly in the play-off picture, only to be swept aside without a fight in the first or second round. In short: a disappointment. In words, there has always been great mutual admiration between Luka and LeBron. Sincere, too, probably. The problem is, however, that they’ve ended up stepping on each other’s toes. As Draymond Green, Golden State’s veteran point guard – someone who knows a thing or two about these matters – explains, “they’re both dominant players and need the ball in their hands to perform at their best”. But there’s only ever one ball. Now that The King has flown off to Philadelphia, a new scenario has opened up for Doncic. And there’s a team built around his playmaking. Perhaps less flashy, but effective. “For the first time in the last three years, I finally feel that all the pieces are falling into place,” sums up J.J. Redick, the Lakers’ coach.

Dončić himself appears more relaxed and at ease on the court, yet he is also better prepared to make the leap in quality required to transform the Lakers into genuine title contenders. Many former champions still maintain that this isn’t the case, that his all-powerful style of play is actually a liability for the team. Luka responds with a shrug, and with another 40-point performance on the scoresheet – the Lakers, for now, are second in the Western Conference. “Let people talk; they always will,” he smiles. “I don’t think I’ll ever be the best defender in the league. But I feel I’ve made huge strides: I’m a better player than I was last year. And that helps the whole team.” In Los Angeles, they haven’t seen performances like this since the days of Kobe. It’s hard to believe, if it really does last.