On Monday, Luka Doncic made his much-awaited Los Angeles Lakers debut in their 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. All eyes were understandably on Doncic on his big night and Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated postgame that he liked how he handled the occasion on his return from injury.
“I think he handled it well,” Redick said. “Knowing Luka, whether he will admit this or not, like there was probably a little bit of nerves. Playing for the Lakers for the first time and the anticipation that our fans have, this building had, his teammates had, our coaching staff had. He kind of gets that. He sees that.
“I thought he’s handled it really well and he played really well tonight,” Redick added. “He could not make a three outside of the first one but again it goes back to all our guys, they just played agenda-free basketball… He didn’t make it about Luka. He made it about playing good basketball and playing Laker basketball.”
Doncic didn’t play all that well against the Jazz but considering he had been out for over a month due to a calf strain, it’s not unexpected. The five-time All-Star recorded 14 points (5-14 FG), five rebounds, and four assists on debut in 24 minutes.
Doncic will be on a minutes restriction for a while, as the Lakers are rightfully playing it safe. There is no need to take any sort of risk, especially with how well the team is playing right now.
The Lakers have won 10 of their last 11 games and are currently on a six-game win streak. They improved to 32-19 on the season after beating the Jazz and are rolling at the moment.
While the players have shone on the court, Redick deserves a lot of credit for the Lakers’ success. The fact that he had no prior head coaching experience even at the high school level before taking this job led to many doubting the hire. Redick has shown so far that the Lakers were right to believe in him and it will be interesting to see how far he takes them this season.
Luka Doncic Admitted He Was Nervous Before His Lakers Debut
Redick wasn’t sure if Doncic would admit he was nervous before his debut but he did. In his postgame press conference, the Slovenian stated he was a little bit tense before he took to the court but was in the zone when the action began.
“It was special the way they received me, everybody,” Doncic said. “It was amazing to see. I was a little nervous before. I can’t remember when was the last time I was nervous before the game, but once I stepped out on the court it was fun just being out there again. It felt amazing.”
It was only natural for Doncic to be a little bit nervous. The 25-year-old was suiting up for the most iconic franchise in the NBA in front of thousands of fans who were eagerly waiting to witness some Luka magic. They didn’t quite get to see the best of him but it won’t be long before he starts balling out for his new team.
Doncic and the Lakers will be in action next against the Jazz again on Wednesday but at the Delta Center at 9 PM ET.
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