The Dallas Mavericks' decision to fire general manager Nico Harrsion has left NBA fans and pundits buzzing. Luka Doncic’s hot start with the Los Angeles Lakers has offered the perfect subplot.
To start his first full year with Los Angeles, Doncic has scored 35+ points in 5 of the 7 games he's played in this season. The 26-year-old’s 260 points through 7 games are the most by a player since Rick Barry (274) in 1966.
Harrison traded Doncic to the Lakers before last season’s trade deadline and has received a great deal of criticism from both fans and media members. The Mavericks were less than a year removed from a trip to the NBA Finals at the time of the deal.
Doncic spent the summer working to improve his physique and has started the year strong. Through his first seven contests, he’s averaged 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists while also shooting roughly 49 percent from the field.
He totaled 38 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in the Lakers’ 121-111 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The victory was sealed despite a first quarter that saw the Hornets outscore Los Angeles 40-36 and followed a 122-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
“We forgot about that game,” Dončić told Law Murray of The Athletic. “We obviously know none of us played like we should have played. That’s not who we are. So we owe it to ourselves to show that we can be way better than that. So I think, except for the first quarter, we showed that today.”
The Lakers are 8-3 on the year, while the Mavericks are 3-8 to start the new campaign.
