Luka Doncic isn't happy. Maybe no one around the Los Angeles Lakers is. In a perfect world, the Purple and Gold would be speeding through a stretch-run sprint that finally shows this club actually belongs on the list of heavyweight NBA contenders. In reality, they're 5-5 with a bottom-third net rating in the month of February.
Maybe that's why Doncic seems so miffed with the referees lately. Because his frustration with the zebra stripes might just be a reflection of his frustration with other, non-referee reasons.
"He's crying as much as he ever has," ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on Get Up. "... Luka vents his frustration at the referees. So, the more he's frustrated, the more he's whining, he's crying."
If that's the case, Doncic's frustration might be at an all-time high. And that would be a pretty clear indication that his gripes really aren't with the officials at all.
L.A.'s struggles and imperfections are weighing on Luka Doncic.
Does Doncic have an issue with not getting what he feels is a well-deserved whistle? Obviously. But when he's complaining about a non-call on every trip down the court—often to the point of not actually making that trip back down the court for defense—it's easy to sense there are bigger issues brewing beneath the surface.
Like, oh I don't know, maybe the fact his high-profile partnership with LeBron James just isn't working. Or that the supporting cast simply isn't built in a way that would allow the stars to shine. Maybe the Deandre Ayton experiment is wearing thin for Luka the way it is for everyone else. Perhaps he's as baffled as the rest of us by his lack of late-game looks.
Not to take the armchair psychologist route, but it seems obvious Doncic isn't happy. And maybe that was always destined to be the case when the Lakers decided that building a roster around their franchise player would have to wait until they had more roster-rebuilding resources at their disposal.
But if the guy is miserable, then some serious damage-control might be badly needed. Everything in Laker Land present and future revolves around Luka. But that really only works if he's totally on board with the plan.
Look, there's no reason to think he wants out or anything—he is under contract through at least 2027-28—but whatever honeymoon period followed his arrival in Hollywood is clearly in the rearview. And that can't (or at least shouldn't) lead to a lot of restful nights for the front office members responsible for authoring the kind of changes that would give Luka his joy back.
He is extraordinary to watch at his best, but when he seems miserable it's just kind of a...well, miserable viewing experience.