LOS ANGELES — Luka Dončić continues settling in as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers while the team positions itself for a postseason run.
Dončić joined the Lakers after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 2 and has been working his way back into playing shape.
The point guard has already played against his former team once since the trade in Los Angeles but he will have an opportunity to play against his former team in Dallas tonight.
He will be back in a familiar setting when the Mavericks host the Lakers on Wednesday evening at the American Airlines Center.
“Dallas had been my home for almost seven years,” Dončić said to reporters on March 20. “It really felt like home, but coming here, it’s like building a new home and I’m getting more comfortable.”
How is Luka Dončić getting along with his Los Angeles teammates?
After a convincing home game against the Denver Nuggets on March 19, Dončić was seen icing his feet in front of his locker.
He took an aggressive approach in the contest and scored 21 of his 31 points in the first quarter against Denver. He nearly produced a double-double, adding eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block in the 120-108 victory on March 19.
The Slovenian player looked around the room with a smile and began interacting with any teammate in sight.
He looks across from his locker toward Dorian Finney-Smith and shares his disappointment in his teammate’s outfit.
“Pink pants, man?” Dončić said jokingly to Finney-Smith. “Seriously?”
The duo have a longstanding friendship that started several years back when they were teammates on the Mavericks.
Dončić also sang his rendition of Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice Ice Baby’ before saying, “Oh, sorry, A.R.” with a grin on his face toward teammate Austin Reaves, who was within arm’s reach, doing his postgame media availability.
How are the Lakers and their fans embracing Luka Dončić?
The organization has used music to embrace Dončić as part of its effort to make Los Angeles his home away from home.
On multiple occasions when he arrives from out of the home tunnel for pregame warmups, a Serbian song will immediately play over the Crypto.com Arena loudspeaker from various music artists such as Ana Bekuta, Ceca and Funky G.
Fans in Los Angeles and across the country also continue to embrace the point guard.
Dončić has been seen in multiple videos over recent weeks on social media where he takes the time to sign autographs of his jerseys, both new and old, for groups of people who are waiting for him to get on a team bus in different cities.
Dončić was No. 8 in jersey sales during the first half of the season when he was still with the Mavericks, according to a post shared by the NBA’s official Instagram on Jan. 28.
The account has not posted similar information since Dončić was traded in the week that followed, but he likely climbed up that leader board with a strong demand for his new jersey in a big market.
Lakers forward LeBron James was ranked second for the same period behind Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
Fanatics had sold out the gold Lakers jersey with Dončić’s name on the back just days after news of the trade took place, according to Yahoo Sports.
Dončić has brought a different level of excitement and energy to the city of Los Angeles and the team, which was 31-19 before acquiring the international star.
After a recent pregame shoot around, he could be found in the tunnel signing more autographs and leaving the crowd in shock by making a trick shot before running back to the locker room.
“You just feel the energy,” Dončić said after the game against the Nuggets on March 19. “There are some crazy shots that I can hit and I know if I make one of those, the crowd will go crazy and give energy to me and the whole team.”
Just days after he arrived in Los Angeles, Dončić became aware of the devastating wildfires that claimed the lives of many in his new community. He donated $500,000 through his foundation to help with immediate recovery efforts on Feb. 10.
‘I am also committed to helping rebuild courts, playgrounds and fields that were destroyed because every kid needs a safe place to play,” Dončić said in a statement when announcing the donation.
When the point guard is playing, he works toward building his on-court chemistry with his teammates and coach JJ Redick through the final games before the playoffs.
The Lakers began Wednesday with a 48-31 record and the third seed in the Western Conference. If the playoffs started, Los Angeles would play against the sixth-seeded Warriors.
The Lakers are now 17 games back from the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and four games back of the second-seeded Houston Rockets. The Lakers can officially clinch a playoff berth with a win against Dallas and further increase their chances of securing the third seed.
The Lakers managed to get healthy at the right time, with James and Rui Hachimura back in the starting lineup after missing multiple games. The Lakers’ primary starting lineup with James and Hachimura paired with Dončić, Reaves and Jaxson Hayes is 8-3.
Without James, Dončić was the primary focus for the opposing defense.
“He has a pro approach,’ Finney-Smith said. ‘He’s been a pro for a long time, even before the NBA.
“He is a competitor. He smiles a lot, but once he’s on the court, he is a dog.’
Dončić’s aggressive games led to him racking up double-digit points in the first half.
“It’s not a strategy,” Dončić said after the game. “It’s just what the defense gives you. In the first (quarter), they’ll just switch and let me go one-on-one, so I know at some point, they’re going to double.’
He also produced 19 points in the first half against Indiana, but Dončić isn’t impressed by his performances. He’s much more focused on the Lakers’ winning at this stage of the season.
“I think we just got to look back at the way we played at that eight-game winning streak,” Dončić told reporters on March 24 after the Lakers’ recent three-game skid. “I think we just got a little bit satisfied, we can’t afford that right now.’
Dončić executed a no-look pass that led to an easy slam dunk by James during a game against the Grizzlies on Saturday.
After connecting on one of their first alley-oops in February, James referred to himself and Luka as members of a football team.
“I’m a natural-born wide receiver, and he’s a natural-born quarterback, so it fits perfectly,” James said. “I’ve been running the floor and filling lanes my whole life, and he’s been throwing great passes his whole life.
“It’s not hard to get a rhythm when you have that kind of connection. It’s all about eye contact and him being the great quarterback that he is.”
With the attention the primary duo attracts on the court, opponents’ game plans tend to shift toward them and leave opportunities for their teammates to take advantage of.
What the Lakers are able to do with those opportunities could be the difference in how far the team’s postseason run can be.
The team had to finish its game Tuesday night against the Thunder without Dončić, who was ejected in the second half of the game after a verbal exchange with a fan.
The Lakers struggled without Dončić available and the Thunder produced a scoring run that put the game out of reach for the remaining players.
Luka Dončić stats
Dončić has averaged 27.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game in 48 games this season.
Who do the Lakers play next?
The Lakers will play the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
This post appeared first on USA TODAY
