Luka Doncic struggled to find his rhythm in his third game with the Los Angeles Lakers, and not even LeBron James could pick up the slack.
Still, the Lakers insist there’s no cause for concern after a humbling 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Doncic managed just 14 points on 5-of-18 shooting, including a dismal 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.
The Slovenian star grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists, but his six turnovers and five fouls marred his longest outing yet – 33 minutes – since arriving in L.A. via a blockbuster trade with Dallas.
“Obviously, it’s going to take a little time,” Doncic said. “I was really rusty today. Started the game with four or five turnovers – can’t let that happen. Just need to play the right way.”
It was a frustrating night for Doncic, who is still shaking off the rust after missing 6 1/2 weeks with a calf strain suffered on Christmas. Every made shot seemed to bring a blend of relief and irritation, a reminder that he's still working his way back to form.
Doncic is 16-for-45 from the field in his three games with the Lakers but just 5-for-24 on 3-point attempts – including 2-for-16 in his two home games, where fans have buzzed with anticipation of each shot and then groaned at each clank.
Back-to-back losses to cellar-dwelling Utah and Charlotte are grim results for a team that had won 10 of 11, but the 40-year-old James isn’t concerned about Doncic’s start in purple and gold.
“It’s his third game since Christmas, and it’s his third game with us,” James said. “He still doesn’t know all the plays. He doesn’t know all the defensive coverages, all the signals and things that we’ve built up since September. Obviously, we’re trying to fast-track it on the fly. He’s coming back from his injury. He’s getting back into form, so we’re working through it together.”
Not everything was grim about Doncic’s performance against Charlotte, his first without a minutes restriction since his return. He led Los Angeles in rebounds, and his plus-13 rating was the Lakers’ best despite his turnovers.
“He’s got to be comfortable being himself because he’s one of the best players in the world,” said Austin Reaves, whose third-quarter ejection was swiftly followed by the Hornets’ 22-1 run. “We need him to be him, and it’s just going to take a couple of games, a couple of weeks to figure out what that best looks like. But we can figure it out fairly quickly.”
With the game on the line in the final seconds, Doncic inbounded the ball to James, who missed two 3-point attempts in the last six seconds. Doncic had no problem deferring in crunch time.
“He had it going, so obviously we’re going to go to him,” Doncic said. “I think it’ll go both ways. One time it’s going to be him, and one time me. I think it depends on how the game is going.”
The Lakers acquired Doncic from the Mavericks on Feb. 2 in a seismic trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.
Doncic played in both of the Lakers’ final two games before the All-Star break, but he logged only 47 total minutes while the team eased him back into competition. He then got several days to recover while the NBA’s top players convened in San Francisco for the All-Star Game.
“Honestly, I was getting my mind off basketball a little bit,” Doncic said. “I’m just excited to come back and play. I missed a lot of time. I’ve never missed this much time, so it was something new to me. Now I’m just excited to get back to play.”
Doncic won’t have time to dwell on his slow start. The Lakers jumped on a plane to Portland after their loss and will face the Trail Blazers on Thursday before visiting Denver on Saturday.
And their next home game? A matchup with the Mavericks on Tuesday.
With the shock of the midseason trade fading, Doncic is eager to look ahead.
“This is one of the greatest clubs in the world, and I’m just happy to be here,” Doncic said. “Obviously, I’m going to need some time, but I’m happy to represent the Lakers.”
