Luka Doncic is staying focused as the Lakers prepare to open the season without LeBron James. Speaking with reporters, the All-NBA guard said the team can’t dwell on LeBron’s absence and needs to adopt a “next man up” mentality while the 40-year-old star recovers from sciatica.
“It’s a big change. He’s a great player. He can help us a lot,” Doncic said, via Dave McMenamin. “But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next man up. We’ve got a group of guys that’s been practicing and hopefully LeBron can join us as soon as possible. We need him, but our mentality has to be next man up. I just want to play basketball, nothing less, nothing more. Whatever it takes to win.”
Luka Doncic may be the star of the show in Los Angeles, but he can only go so far on his own. This season, in his first full campaign as a Laker, Doncic has big plans for the team but success will depend greatly on the health of the King. Unfortunately, his durability is a wild card right now given that he’s set to miss the next three weeks of play.
James, 40, suffered a sciatica injury two months ago but the pain has yet to subside. As he continues his recovery, LeBron will be kept out of action and will miss opening night for the first time in his storied career. While it’s a relatively minor injury overall, it’s still a rough setback to have after such a promising offseason.
While the Lakers might ordinarily panic in this situation, Luka is doing his part to carry the load and ensure they don’t lose a beat without No. 23 on the court. Now that he’s in shape and better conditioned, he may be able to make up for LeBron’s early absence by dominating every area of the court. At the very least, he can keep them near the top of the standings and in a position to move up when the team is fully healthy and together.
For Luka, now is not the time for self-loathing. Instead of feeling bad about the situation, Doncic wants the Lakers to respond like champions by rallying together and stepping up in more ways than one. With these latest comments, Doncic has already set the proper tone and now it’s up to guys like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton to deliver.
Ultimately, only time will tell how the Lakers get through this stretch without LeBron, but it’s something they’ll have to be prepared for as he enters his 23rd season. If they want to be true contenders, the Lakers cannot rely on a 40-year-old star to come through for them. They must start to build a new identity, built around teamwork, humility, and the concept of always being ready.
Luka Doncic is saying all the right things, and now it’s about backing it up. With LeBron James sidelined, the Lakers have a chance to prove they can hold their own and grow stronger in the process. These are the stretches that reveal a team’s identity, and if Doncic keeps leading with this kind of mindset, the Lakers will become even more dangerous when he comes back.
