The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of pressure entering the NBA season, but franchise superstar Luka Doncic has confidence. Losing LeBron James in free agency basically confirmed that this is Luka’s franchise now. The Lakers fully built the roster around Doncic’s skill set, but fans have questioned the overall talent level compared to other West teams. Trading for Walker Kessler was the biggest gamble to appease Luka’s desire for a defensive center.
The OC Register revealed a Doncic quote about why he expects to contend and when he started to feel that strongly:
“Since the first day,” Doncic said when asked when he believed the new Lakers squad could win a championship. “That simple. Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia … I believed that we can win a championship.”
Luka went out of his way to invite and plan a mini camp/vacation for the Lakers teammates in his home country. The roster built chemistry via practicing together and became closer by traveling around the superstar’s home. Doncic and Austin Reaves are now the two top stars and must lead by example. Luka did this in Slovenia and felt more confident about the team’s chances of making noise in the West.
Why Luka Doncic Believes In Lakers Squad
The Lakers essentially copied the Dallas Mavericks mindset of less is more when making risky moves to downgrade talent for overall fit. Kessler was the most important piece since the Lakers lacked a young athletic center who can anchor a defense.
Reaves is the offensive co-star, similar to what Kyrie Irving provided for Doncic on the Mavericks when they made the NBA Finals. Other moves involved younger talents and versatile offensive skills. Luka believes in the roster since it really comes all down to his ability to lead them.
The Lakers’ roster only works if Doncic is putting up incredible stats and has a strong usage rate. Luka feels most comfortable playing like this and will be able to have full control here. New teammates like Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton can score to help him share the workload when needed, but the rest of the new players are there to play behind Doncic.
Slovenia Trip Represented New Luka Doncic Role
Doncic has always enjoyed leading teams, but he was able to share the role with LeBron last season. The losses of James and fellow veteran Rui Hachimura saw the Lakers no longer having the same roster core.
Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt represent the Lakers who have had the longest tenures, despite both being relatively young. Luka realized he’s the true leader of this team and did some great work by planning out the Slovenia trip.
Head coach JJ Redick believes the team’s chemistry was there from the start of training camp. Slovenia likely played a huge role in this level of preparation ahead of the season. Doncic will be a clear MVP candidate if the Lakers do contend for a title and have a strong Western Conference record. The Slovenia trip is where it all started if Luka does thrive this season.
Luka Doncic Reveals Why Lakers Will Contend For NBA Title