With LeBron James sidelined due to injury, Luka Doncic could finally have his moment to shine against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Since being traded last month, Luka Doncic has played 12 games with the Lakers, leading them to an 8-4 record. However, the team has dropped back-to-back games, with James suffering a groin strain in the final stretch against the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
James is expected to need one to two weeks to recover, which the Lakers will be grateful for as James became the first player to score 50,000 points.
However, a former NBA star sees James’ injury as the perfect opportunity for the Lakers’ point guard to step up and start competing with these numbers.
Chandler Parsons holds high hopes for Luka Doncic
The Lakers struggled without James in their lineup, falling to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. However, former NBA star Chandler Parsons noted on FanDuel’s Run It Back that this could be a prime opportunity for Doncic to take charge and lead the team his way.
In his 12 games with the Lakers, Doncic has averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. However, Parsons believes those numbers could rise even further with James sidelined.
“I think this is a perfect time. I think this is great long-term for the rest of the season for Luca to get his rhythm for him to get going. Obviously, we know he missed some time before he got traded,” Parsons said. “Now he’s coming. He’s kind of trying to get his feet wet, trying to get everybody else involved.”
Parsons clarified that he does not believe the Lakers are better without James. However, he sees this as a valuable opportunity for Doncic to get comfortable and find his rhythm on the court.
“I’m not saying they’re better without LeBron James because that’s not even close to the truth. But I think it long term might help them out that Luca can finally get these couple of weeks under his belt to play those big minutes, have even more usage rate, and continue to get his rhythm back,” he added.
Luka Doncic needs to make the Lakers ‘his team’
The Lakers hold the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a 40-23 record through 63 games, and Doncic will look to strengthen their position in the standings.
However, he is still finding his footing in Los Angeles. Without James, the Lakers fell 111-108 to the Nets in New York, and Doncic struggled with efficiency. He finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and two steals but shot just 8-of-26 from the field and 3-of-10 from beyond the arc in 41 minutes.
ESPN analyst Ramona Shelburne weighed in on Doncic’s situation Monday on NBA Today. She noted that he has not looked fully comfortable in a Lakers jersey but with James taking time off, she expects him to get back on track.
“This is an opportunity right now for Luka to make it his team… He hasn’t looked as comfortable. I thought he was getting there, but in this game, without LeBron, it made me realize, oh, this isn’t his team yet,” Shelbourne said.
Doncic will have the spotlight in the upcoming week. Many are eager to see if he can bring his Dallas Mavericks magic to the Crypto.com Arena.
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