The Lakers got the win, but Luka Doncic had another rough night. Following a 118-104 victory over the Pelicans, head coach JJ Redick addressed his star guard’s recent struggles and shared an optimistic update on the team’s overall health heading into Saturday’s game.
“Last two games, they’ve had All-NBA defenders on him,” said Redick in the post-game press conference. “We gotta do a better job at getting the ball to him in the right spots. We tried with some choice stuff and we tried with some random flash stuff and couldn’t get the right execution on it.”
Despite Luka finishing with 24 points on 37.5 percent shooting, Redick didn’t sound overly concerned. He expects the offense to clean things up soon and confirmed that the full rotation should be available for the second night of this back-to-back.
Asked if everyone who played on Friday would be active against the Bucks, Redick didn’t hesitate.
“I would anticipate, yeah.”
It was far from a clean win for the Lakers, who finished with 17 turnovers in the game. Luka’s struggles stalled the offense at times, giving the Pelicans a window to get back into the game.
Thanks to a team-high 31 points from Austin Reaves, Los Angeles was still able to escape with the win tonight, but there is some lingering uncertainty about Luka’s trajectory.
He’s cooled off after a tough start, following up a 19-point game against the Thunder with today’s abysmal shooting performance. Opponents are making a point to bring extra pressure on Luka, assigning their top defenders to him in an effort to disrupt his game.
Over the course of a long season, stretches like this are to be expected, but the Lakers cannot afford any major setbacks. In a stacked Western Conference, every game matters and that means Doncic must be at his best to give his team a fighting chance.
It remains to be seen how the Lakers will adjust, but Redick knows that the key involves helping Doncic get to his spots. Having LeBron James back would also be a huge help, but he’s not set to return until later this month.
For tomorrow’s game, the Lakers will have to do without him once again, but most of the rest of the rotation will be available. As they take on the Bucks at Fiserv Forum, they’ll need all hands on deck to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo and secure their second straight win.
As for Luka, he’s still on track for his best season yet with averages of 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting. He is the focal point of the Lakers’ offense, which is why Redick must develop a plan to get him going tomorrow. If he shoots 37.5 percent again, it will not bode well for their chances to make it two straight wins.
Ultimately, if the Lakers can give Doncic cleaner looks and limit their turnovers, they should have a real shot at coming out of Milwaukee with a win. It all starts with execution and trusting the system, and if Luka finds his rhythm early, this team has the talent to match up with anyone in the West.
