Everything was looking up for the Los Angeles Lakers in March of last season. LA went 15-2 in the month and built sturdy chemistry after LeBron James accepted a third-option role.
The run in March included a nine-game winning streak, and the Lakers were as high as the third seed in the West for a time.
Suddenly, they looked like a contender.
But then everything came crashing down in early April when Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic both got injured in the same game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This completely derailed the Lakers' season.
Doncic wouldn't return for the rest of the campaign, and Reaves was only able to come back for a portion of the playoffs, but he wasn't fully healthy.
We didn't know it at the time, but this was also LeBron's last phase of being a Laker. He performed admirably in the first round against the Houston Rockets, leading to a series victory.
But the Lakers were simply outmatched talent-wise in the second round when they were swept by the Thunder.
Luka Doncic is excited to start a new chapter with Lakers
Not surprisingly, when Doncic looks back at the season, he reflects that it didn't end the way anyone would have liked.
At the same time, Luka's recent comments about the coming season are nothing but optimistic.
"I think we have a really good team and I'm very excited to start a new season," Luka said during an interview at the British Open. "Obviously, the season -- last season -- didn't end how we wanted. So I'm very excited for a new one."
These remarks show that Doncic is happy with the work that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka did this offseason. Pelinka was under a lot of pressure this summer to deliver key acquisitions, and deliver he did.
Walker Kessler was a huge acquisition, considering the Lakers badly needed a starting-level center to pair with Doncic. Pelinka also went out and got some depth on the wing, some shooting, and in general filled out the roster in a way that, while not perfect, still satisfies most Lakers fans.
Now, the pressure falls on Doncic and head coach JJ Redick to lead this team into contention in the months and years to come. Luka is in the prime of his career, and there aren't any more excuses for him not to be challenging for titles, even in the Wild Wild West.
It's time for Luka Doncic to enter championship mode with Lakers
Sure, the San Antonio Spurs and the Thunder are extremely difficult mountains to climb, but if Luka wants to be considered the best player in the game, his team needs to be in the championship conversation on a season-to-season basis from here on out.
As aforementioned, Pelinka's offseason wasn't perfect, but it was certainly good enough, and Luka acknowledged that with his comments. Now it's time to throw the ball up and see how far the Lakers can actually go.
Health will be of paramount importance per usual, and it'll be fascinating to see if Docic and Reaves can preserve their bodies during the regular season and be healthy for a playoff run. Part of that responsibility will lie with Redick, who will have to be smart about managing minutes, especially for Doncic.
At the end of the day, Lakers fans have to feel pretty good about the coming season, especially if their star player does.
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