Luka Doncic addressed the media after his poor showing in the Los Angeles Lakers 97-100 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. When asked by a reporter about JJ Redick‘s comments about the team’s lackluster offense, Doncic seemed to focus on himself, shouldering the blame for his poor performance. But he did stress that he needed more time to adjust to the Los Angeles Lakers, as the environment is still new to him.
Reporter: “Obviously, it’s your third game with this team, figuring things out. But JJ thought the offense tonight, for the group, was maybe just not there for 90% of the game. What’s the challenge for you guys to figure out playing one another to the best of your abilities?”
Luka Doncic: “Obviously, it’s going to take a little time. Today, there was a lot of rustiness on my part. I started the game with like four or five turnovers. That can’t happen. Just gotta play basketball the right way.”
Doncic also addressed some other matters during the press conference, specifically his thoughts on being the inbounder rather than the shottaker on the final play, his adjustment process with the Lakers, how he deals with an offensively difficult game, his current feelings on the Lakers, and whether he spent All-Star break trying to study tape to better adapt to LeBron James‘ style of play.
Throughout his answers, Doncic continuously stressed the importance of giving himself time to adjust to the Lakers in the weeks to come. Below are all the highlights from Doncic’s press conference.
Reporter: “Just fast-forwarding to the late-game situation, you were down three. Your guys’ ball. You and LeBron are both incredible offensive talents. What is it like to be the guy inbounding the ball versus the guy taking the shot?”
Doncic: “He had it going. So obviously, we’re going to go to him. I think it’ll go both ways. One time it’s gonna be him, one time me. I think it depends on how the game is going.”
Reporter: “Overall, how would you assess the offensive process in the three games you’ve played? Not just yourself, but the team as a whole.”
Doncic: “I think it was good. Obviously, like I said, I’m gonna need a little time, just to adjust to everything. But I think it was fine today. Overall, I think we had some good opportunities to make shots. But we didn’t make any shots, especially me. Just taking a little time to get used to it.”
Reporter: “Luka, there were a couple of shots that you made tonight where you shook your head, like ‘Finally! I found some rhythm there.’ How do you balance being yourself and still being aggressive, even when the shot is not falling?”
Doncic: “I just play the way I play. Just trying to stay aggressive, and do some other things that I can help to get us the win. Just staying aggressive.”
Reporter: “Some time has passed now since the shock of the trade, and you’ve had some time to wrap your mind around things during All-Star break. What are you thinking now, heading forward?
Doncic: “Right now? Or moving forward? [Laughs]. Heading forward, I’m happy to be here man. This is one of the greatest clubs in the world. Just happy to be here. Like I said, obviously, I’m going to need some time, but I am happy to represent the Lakers.”
Reporter: “Did you spend the All-Star break studying how you could fit in alongside LeBron and what you guys can do together?”
Doncic: “Honestly, I was getting my mind off of that. I’m just excited to come back and play. I missed a lot of time, never missed this much time. So it’s something new to me. But I was just excited to get back.”
Luka Doncic had his worst performance in a Lakers jersey so far last night, putting up 14 points (5-18 FG), 11 rebounds, eight assists, and one steal. His lowlights consisted of going 1-9 from beyond the arc and turning the ball over six times, including five in the first half of the game.
It is insane to think that even when he is having a bad game, Doncic is almost able to put up a triple-double. One can only imagine that when Luka Doncic is fully fit, he and the Lakers will be an unstoppable offensive juggernaut. The offensive transition will yield results, but as Doncic stressed, it will take time.
For his part, JJ Redick is looking forward to fully integrating Luka Doncic into the Lakers offense. And while fans were left disappointed with his outing, there will be optimism that last night’s game can be a big step in Doncic’s process of becoming the core piece of this Los Angeles Lakers team.
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