Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James had nothing but praise for his running mate Luka Doncic, while discussing his teammate’s ability to control the pace of the game. Speaking on the subject on a recent episode of the “Mind The Game” podcast, James said:
“It’s always his pace, and it’s always been his pace. It’s never been – a game be – ‘Okay, you can speed me up. He can speed me up. This bigger guy, he can be more physical, okay. This smaller guy can get up underneath me.’ He moves at his own pace. And he’s never, ever, been on the floor where he’s allowed someone to dictate where they’re going to put him on the floor.”
“For us, we’re all working off of that. We just got to stay ready,” added James. “Obviously, we’ve seen throughout his career, there’s plays and passes that certain guys in league history have ever been able to make.”
“And for us, we just have to make sure that we continue to stay ready, especially when you’re going against handsy teams, athletic teams, teams that try to speed you up. We always have to keep our head on a swivel… You just never know when the ball may find you.”
James continued to praise this quality about Doncic as it helped keep opposing defenses on their toes and off balance.
The pairing of James and Doncic seemed to work almost immediately. Considering the similarities in their approach to the game, the Lakers saw their star duo form a chemistry right off the bat, allowing the Slovenian to assimilate into the team’s system seamlessly.
The Lakers’ season took a turn after Doncic’s arrival. The team looked like a different monster as they closed out the regular season. With their 26-year-old superstar recording an average of 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game, the Purple and Gold seemed unstoppable.
However, this illusion of supremacy was torn down just as quickly in the first round of the postseason.
An early playoff exit exacerbated the roster’s shortcomings. But this also helped the team identify the reinforcements they would have to make to ensure that this team could become championship-ready as soon as possible.
The Lakers’ pursuit of a big man, along with other positional upgrades, has been one of the main talking points of the offseason. The general indication has been to construct a team around Doncic, allowing him to raise the overall standard.
This approach is also keeping in mind the team’s title aspirations. With the likelihood of James returning for Year 23, the Lakers are also in a “win-now” mode. Thus, acquiring players who are battle-tested and ready to compete is also the need of the hour.
The offseason implies a lot of major changes in store. As the Lakers’ front office continues its work to strengthen the team, and Doncic focuses on his physical conditioning, it will be intriguing to see what James and Doncic can accomplish with a full season in front of them.
