Not everyone is a fan of what the Los Angeles Lakers have been doing this offseason. After losing LeBron James, Rob Pelinka rallied to get a center of the future in Walker Kessler and support that addition with a handful of role players. "Not good enough" cries out the vocal minority.
To the dismay of those folk, there is one central figure in all of this who is enjoying what the Lakers are doing. That would be Luka Doncic. The Athletic's Dan Woike reported that the superstar point guard is having a good time watching what his franchise is doing to set him up for next season.
"According to league sources, Luka Doncic was 'excited' about the Lakers' signings, with the team addressing his biggest desires for the roster by keeping Austin Reaves and getting an elite rim-protecting center in Kessler."
At the end of the day, the Lakers are building this thing out with Doncic in mind. Luka is the MVP-level talent who is at the nucleus of this team. If the surreal offensive superstar is content with what the franchise is putting together for him, that voice matters more than anyone else's.
Luka Doncic's excitement over Lakers' retool should speak volumes
No one should know better regarding what works for Doncic than himself. That does not mean caving to every single whim the franchise superstar may have, but it should be an invitation to always keep him in mind when repositioning the roster. The Lakers have done that.
They have secured Doncic's running mate by retaining Reaves. They added the two-way big man that Luka needed at center. The Lakers superstar asked for shooters, and Pelinka delivered Cameron Carr, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and company.
The desire to fulfill Doncic's needs is there. That should translate to the court.
Do folks really need to be reminded about just how good Luka is at elevating the players around him? Teammates with the Dallas Mavericks got paid because of what they looked like playing next to Doncic. The guy can get the best out of most players you put beside him. Kristaps Porzingis holds that up at most, and not all.
Start giving Doncic guys he actually wants to play with and that should be an easy path to success. The Lakers are doing that.
This is not all to say that Los Angeles has enjoyed the perfect summer. However, the push that was promised has been there. This team deserves a shot on the court together before judgment is heavily weighed one way or the other.
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