Are The Lakers A Championship Contender With Luka Doncic?

Adding a player as great as Luka Doncic will have significant ramifications for the Lakers, both in the short-term and long-term. The oddsmakers certainly believe that the move gives Los Angeles a much higher chance to win the NBA Championship in the 2024-25 season. Of course, it will still be a tremendous challenge just for them to make the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference with contenders like Oklahoma City, Denver, Memphis, and others standing in the way.

As much as Luka Doncic brings to the team, the Lakers’ defense will take a hit in the short-term. Without Anthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes will be forced into the starting center role. Hayes had a solid performance in Thursday’s blowout win over the lowly Wizards, posting a double-double. However, the Lakers would be wise to make a move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline to add another big man. As aggressive as the Luka–A.D. trade was, it would not be surprising to see the Lakers get another deal done, perhaps for someone like Myles Turner or Walker Kessler.

No matter what else L.A. decides to do with their roster, the addition of Doncic is sure to make an immediate impact. Doncic is a 5-time All-Star, earning that distinction in five consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2024. He also made First Team All-NBA in each of those five seasons, giving him more selections than either Stephen Curry or Nikola Jokic, both of whom have only been named First Team All-NBA four times each.

In addition to leading the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season, Doncic won his first career scoring title with a total of 2,370 points scored—an average of 33.9 points per game. No player had scored that many points in a season since James Harden scored 2,818 total points during the 2018-19 season. Doncic also averaged 9.2 rebounds per game and 9.8 assists per game, leaving him not far off from averaging a triple-double on the season. Although Doncic has only played 22 games this season, his numbers have still been fantastic when he has played, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game.

When Will Luka Doncic Make His Debut With The Lakers?

After having his introductory press conference with the Lakers on Tuesday morning, speculation now turns to when we might expect to see Doncic in a Lakers’ uniform for the first time. Doncic has not played in a game since suffering a strained calf on Christmas Day, an injury that was expected to sideline him for at least a month.

ESPN’s Marc Spears has floated the idea of Doncic making his L.A. debut on February 10th in a home game against the Utah Jazz. The Lakers have a road matchup against the Jazz on February 12th in what will be their last outing before the All-Star break. If Doncic is unable to return on either of those dates, his next opportunity will come on February 19th in a home game against the Charlotte Hornets. Keep in mind that the Lakers will face the Mavericks on February 25th in what is sure to be must-see TV.

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