The Lakers are flying high at 10-4, and Luka Doncic is loving every minute of it. Following Saturday’s blowout win over the Bucks, the star guard praised his teammates and reflected on how much the group has grown over this five-game road trip.
“It was a long trip, but everybody played amazingly,” said Doncic after the game. “I told the guys that we have to build on each other because I know everybody’s tired, and we came here to win… feels like one year we’ve been on the road.”
Since arriving in the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade, Luka has grown more comfortable with the team and embraced his role as a vocal leader. What started as a quiet adjustment period has turned into full integration, as he’s now cracking jokes, talking trash, and setting the tone behind the scenes. His connection with the group has helped fuel the Lakers’ hot start, and it’s clear that chemistry is already becoming one of their biggest strengths.
“When I came I was probably the more quiet one, trying to get to know people,” said Luka. “But right now I’m just being myself, just joking around a lot, trash-talking. I think one of the biggest things for the team to win is to have great chemistry and I think we have that.”
It’s no secret that Doncic was crushed after the Mavericks trade. Former Lakers governor Jeanie Buss recalled seeing Luka look sad after the deal, and it took him months to adjust.
While the process hasn’t been easy, Doncic has finally moved on from the Mavericks to fully embrace his tenure with the Lakers. Over time, he’s gotten more and more comfortable with his surroundings, and now he feels free to be himself.
The result has been a much happier version of Luka, who is having his best season yet. With averages of 33.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game, he’s leading the Lakers to a high standing in the West, and tonight was his latest masterpiece with 41 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks on 47.4 percent shooting and 45.5 percent shooting from three in the win over the Bucks. Still, the job is far from finished.
With competitors such as the Thunder, Nuggets, and Spurs all vying for a position of power, the Lakers cannot afford any setbacks if they want to climb the standings. Fortunately, they have great team chemistry on their side, along with a superstar who is in the prime of his career.
It’s not an accident that the Lakers are winning right now, and Luka has noticed the difference. With the chemistry both on and off the court at an all-time high, everything is clicking right now and Luka is dominating in the same way he used to dominate for the Mavericks.
Now, with LeBron James set to return soon and the Lakers finally getting healthy, the timing could not be better. If Luka can keep this pace and the chemistry holds, Los Angeles will have a real shot to make history. They have already shown they can hang with the best, even while shorthanded, and the ceiling only gets higher once everyone is back in the mix. The pieces are all coming together and if this version of Luka stays locked in, the rest of the league better watch out.
