Trading for Luka Doncic was a surefire slam dunk success for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The LA Lakers were not expecting Luka Doncic to be gift-wrapped to the team at the trade deadline, when the Dallas Mavericks proposed a wild trade.
GM Rob Pelinka was taken aback when counterpart Nico Harrison suggested the idea, and after internal discussion, the Lakers leapt at the deal, operating in secret to pull it off.
The Doncic trade has extended the Lakers’ window of success, which many feared was closing, with Dallas peculiarly opting to shorten their own.
Jeanie Buss has been surprised by Luka Doncic
LA Lakers president Jeanie Buss has previously admitted she did not expect the team to be able to acquire Luka Doncic, and was more than happy to agree the deal.
Buss had recounted her first words with Luka Doncic, urging him to write his own name in Lakers history over the years ahead.
In an interview with Games With Names, Buss has revealed that since Doncic has joined the team, she has been taken aback by just how good he is.
Buss said: “It’s very interesting to watch him play with LeBron. We don’t have enough of a sample size yet, but wow, this kid can pass the ball.”
“He sees the game like no one I’ve ever seen. I really had no idea how great of a mind he has for basketball.
“So it’s exciting, but you people got to remember he hadn’t played in months. He’d been out with an injury, so he’s gonna have to acclimate to playing full time again.”
She added excitedly: “I think there’s just gonna be a lot of fun. Our fans are already ecstatic.”
Luka Doncic is just getting started
Through 12 games for the LA Lakers, Luka Doncic is averaging 24.5 points for the team. That is a figure which if extrapolated across the season, would rank him 14th overall.
Doncic, however, is capable of far more. Last season for the Dallas Mavericks he averaged 33.9 ppg and was in the MVP discussion.
The Slovenian is gradually improving his numbers. Over the last five games for the Lakers he is averaging 29.4 ppg, including a high of 34.
There are still improvements he can make, and it won’t help him that LeBron James is currently out, but everybody including Buss is looking forward to him kicking on in the playoffs.
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