When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, the immediate understanding was that the offense would be built around him. Donic has emerged as a transcendent scorer and playmaker during his seven NBA seasons, ranking No. 3 all time in points per game and No. 12 in assists per contest.
Questions arose about how the Lakers' roster would complement Doncic, but those concerns have quickly been alleviated.
Doncic and the Lakers are in remarkable form, most recently defeating the Denver Nuggets 120-108. It was yet another display of how the team has hit the ground running with its new franchise player, including the proclivity for eruptions on offense.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Lakers guard Austin Reaves revealed how Doncic has transformed the offense into an entirely different force of nature.
“He creates such havoc for teams’ defenses that 90 percent of the time people are blitzing him, as you can probably see, and he makes the right play out of the blitz,” Austin Reaves said. “He doesn’t try to force it too much in those situations, and he makes the right play. So therefore you’re playing four-on-three, and it just comes down to playing the game the right way and passing it to the open person, because three people can’t guard four.”
By miraculously adding one player, the Lakers have taken a significant step forward in terms of what's possible on the offensive end of the floor.
Austin Reaves explains impact of Luka Doncic drawing double teams
It'd be inaccurate to state that Anthony Davis and LeBron James were anything less than a stellar pairing. Injuries impacted both players, but when they were healthy, they led the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and a Conference Finals appearance in 2023.
Their respective dominance on the offensive end of the floor played a significant role in that success and opened up opportunities for supporting players to thrive.
Doncic is a different type of player, however, due in no small part to the fact that he's in his athletic prime. While not necessarily known for his explosiveness, he has the uncanny ability to command a second defender every time he goes downhill.
As the reigning scoring champion, who averaged 33.9 points and 9.8 assists per game in 2023-24, Doncic has produced at a level that teams simply must respect.
As a result, Los Angeles finally has the player that head coach JJ Redick previously said they were without. Buha's article harkens back to when Redick explained that the pre-Doncic Lakers weren't able to rely on any one player to attack in isolation, draw double teams, and get into the paint.
Doncic's ability to do so any time the ball is in his hands has not only created tremendous highlights, but transformed the Lakers' offense in every respect.
Reaves has been a primary beneficiary, further establishing himself as a top candidate for Most Improved Player—although Cade Cunningham is an admittedly rational favorite. Since the Doncic trade, Reaves has averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.
With the backcourt of the future in place, and Doncic proving he can translate his game to Los Angeles, the Lakers are showing exactly what Redick's offense is capable of with the right players.
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