Ahead of his upcoming series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic says he likes his team’s chances of making a championship run. Speaking in a recent chat with the media, Doncic looked ahead to this year’s playoffs and confirmed that the vibes are immaculate right now heading into Game 1 on Saturday.
“I think we have a great team. We have guys who are willing to go to war,” said Doncic, via Dave McMenamin. “Everybody is staying together, the chemistry is high. So I think we, for sure, have a chance.”
Luka Doncic is fresh off a Finals appearance with the Mavericks, so he knows a good team when he sees it. Fortunately for Doncic, the Lakers qualify as an elite NBA squad, and they are getting better and better as they build up their chemistry. Ahead of the opening round, Luka Doncic has made it clear that the Lakers stand a chance against anyone, and that’s a lot better than where they stood just a few years ago.
The franchise was in NBA purgatory for years before the arrival of LeBron James in 2018. He led the Lakers to a championship in 2020, and he’s been trying to replicate the feat ever since. At 50-32, the Lakers are already one of the top teams in the West, and they are not done yet.
This season, after the trade for Luka Doncic, the Lakers are in a position to shock the basketball world, but it’s head coach JJ Redick who changed the entire culture of the locker room. Despite no prior experience, Redick is making an amazing impact, and Luka Doncic is still blown away that the guy used to be his former teammate on the Mavericks.
JJ, with the support of Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, and LeBron James, has changed the culture and identity of the Lakers to fit his vision for success. While it hasn’t always been easy, Redick’s coaching has been validated on the court, and he’s got the whole team bought into his game plan.
Coming from a role in the media, JJ Redick inherited a Lakers team that was in total shambles following a miserable season and the firing of Darvin Ham. After being denied by UConn Men’s coach Dan Hurley, the Lakers settled on Redick, but there were doubts that a coach so inexperienced could succeed in his first year on the job.
Needless to say, Redick disproved that narrative, and he’s got the Lakers playing elite-level basketball going into the 2025 postseason. Between his guidance and the historic talents of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers are in a great spot right now, and faith has never been higher in a potential championship run.
The first order of business is getting past the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, but with star power, depth, and a sound game plan, the Lakers have everything they need to advance deep into the playoffs, and they are not short on confidence in their ability to get it done.
For his part, Luka Doncic will be tasked to lead the team both on the court and in the locker room, but it’s nothing that he hasn’t endured before. After leading the Mavericks for seven years, the pressure is normal for Doncic, and he’s ready to deliver on his promise of glory with the Lakers.
