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Not in Dallas Anymore: Luka Doncic Faces the LA Pressure

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Luka Doncic has been disappointing in his first three games with the Lakers.

Luka Doncic has played only three games for the Lakers, but he is 1-2 with losses against the Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Hornets. Both teams are lottery-bound, with the Jazz having the third-worst record in the league. Now, in Los Angeles, Luka Doncic’s rocky start is a hotter topic than in Dallas. Fans have already taken to social media to express their opinions.

Not in Dallas Anymore: Luka Doncic Faces the LA Pressure

After the latest loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Luka Doncic is trending on social media, but not in a good way. There were countless memes and reactions to his latest game in which he had five turnovers in just eight minutes in the first quarter.

Here are some of the funniest and most creative tweets fans posted on social media following the latest loss to the Hornets.

Luka’s Defense Exposed

Saying that Luka is not a good defender is not something new. However, fans in Los Angeles expect more from their superstars. Doncic’s rocky start reached its height against the Hornets. In the last quarter, the Hornets employed a “hunt Luka” strategy that worked almost every possession. At one point, LaMelo Ball had Luka on skates before driving and finding an open man inside for a layup.

Teams will no doubt try to hunt Luka. Unlike the Mavericks, the Lakers do not have many defensive players right now to cover for his shortcomings on that end of the floor. Of course, things will change in the future. He is only 25 years old, and the Lakers have plenty of time to build a team around him. However, for now, his defensive shortcomings will be a hot topic on social media.

To be fair, the Slovenian star has improved a lot on that end of the floor. But he is far from an average defender.

How Bad is Luka Doncic’s Rocky Start?

Granted, Luka was on a minutes restriction before the Hornets game. He hasn’t played since Christmas, the longest he has been away from the floor during a season. One of the reasons the Mavs gave for the trade was his conditioning. There is no denying that he needs to get in better game shape. But coming after an injury, this is to be expected.

So far, as a Lakers, Luka is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on 35% shooting from the floor and an abysmal 20.8% from beyond the arc. As he gets more comfortable, all of these stats can go up. One area in which Lakers fans can notice improvement is how he gets open touches for players.

Chemistry with LeBron will develop

There was a lot of talk after last night’s game about LeBron James’ thunderous dunk. But what many casual fans do not notice is that there are not many players in the league that can create such an opportunity for the King.

Luka is one of the few players who can switch on a smaller defender and then wait patiently long enough so that the defense collapses, and it opens up a lane for LeBron to dunk it. And then deliver a timely pass. Doncic has thrown a few full-court passes to LeBron and has made life easier for the oldest player in the league.

We also mention the third-most-important player, Austin Reaves. He was playing amazingly before the Luka trade and might need a bit more time to adjust to the new situation. Nevertheless, Luka, LeBron, and Austin are a good trio that can make good things happen in LA.

 

Photo credit: © Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

The post Not in Dallas Anymore: Luka Doncic Faces the LA Pressure appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.