The Los Angeles Lakers recently got an injection of positive vibes with the weight loss transformation of superstar Luka Doncic, whom the team signed to an extension this offseason. Doncic is expected to usher in the next era of elite Lakers basketball, and this summer, he has been staying in shape for the season by participating in EuroBasket for his native Slovenia.
On Monday, Slovenia picked up a win over Iceland to advance to the round of 16 in the EuroBasket tournament, with Doncic helping lead the way despite a relatively rough shooting night from the field.
Doncic finished the night with 26 points but hit on just 8 of his 22 field goal attempts (including two of ten from beyond the arc), to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals, as well as 8-11 from the free throw line.
Overall, the fact that Doncic can still make a huge impact on the game despite having a rough shooting night further displays the greatness that Los Angeles signed up for when they traded for him last winter and signed him to an extension over the summer.
A big offseason for the Lakers
While Doncic competes in EuroBasket overseas, the Los Angeles Lakers have been busy trying to put the best roster around him as possible.
The Lakers of course still employ LeBron James, but they've also added some intriguing depth on the buyout market in the form of veterans Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton, both of whom were starters on teams that made the NBA Finals in the last four years.
Still, it's unclear even with Smart and Ayton whether the Lakers have done enough to address their point of attack defense or their frontcourt depth, each of which the Minnesota Timberwolves repeatedly took advantage of in their first round shellacking of the Lakers this spring.
However, with a healthy and slimmed-down Doncic leading the charge, nothing will be off the table in Los Angeles.
The Lakers are set to begin their 2025-26 season at home against the Golden State Warriors on October 22 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
