The Los Angeles Lakers have now lost their last three contests in a row. As the season goes on, this fanbase is learning one undeniable truth about Luka Doncic: that he needs to have a roster around him that's built very specifically to mask his weaknesses, and the Lakers' simply don't have that at all right now.
When Doncic fell into the Lakers' lap last February, Lakers fans everywhere rejoiced because he had just gotten done taking the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals less than a year before that. Many assumed that he'd be able to walk into Los Angeles and do the same thing without much issue.
But in reality, it hasn't been nearly that simple. This Lakers team has struggled in ways that don't always reflect in a box score. For the season, they're the only team in the top eight of the Western Conference to hold a negative net rating. Doncic's numbers are flashy, but they don't tell the whole story.
Take Monday night's game against the Sacramento Kings for example. Luka finished with 42 points, but only two of those points came in the fourth quarter. In the final frame, he shot 25% as the Lakers failed to complete a comeback.
Luka Doncic needs a roster more suited to him in LA
Doncic just hasn't looked like the kind of game-breaking talent that can take over games and will LA to victories all by himself on a nightly basis. The stats look nice, but they don't always match up with the eye test. The truth is that Luka needs more teammates that can mask his inconsistent defensive output and sometimes questionable shot selection if this team is to succeed.
We're seeing more and more why the Mavs may have just been on to something when they decided to move on from Doncic. He's still a high-end talent when he's at his best, but the problem is that his success is highly dependent on his surrounding environment, especially at this stage of his career.
We can't forget that Luka may only be 26 years old, but he's been playing professional basketball for over a decade at this point. That's a lot of wear and tear on his body, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise that he's not looking nearly as quick or athletic as he did four or five years ago.
This doesn't mean Luka is washed, but it does make the situation more complicated than anyone wants to admit. The Lakers aren’t built to cover for his flaws right now, and until that changes, big scoring nights might just keep feeling hollow. Talent alone isn’t going to save this season.