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After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-102, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was hard on himself for his tenure with his new team. LeBron James commented on Doncic’s shooting woes.
However, for a team that’s quickly climbing the Western Conference standings, perhaps the Lakers will make their tremendous leap when Luka eventually turns things around. Still, it doesn’t make him feel any better about his poor shooting.
Doncic says he’s been “horrible” as a Laker, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
“That’s the word he chose during a postgame interview late Thursday night, when the whistle-heavy win against Minnesota (111-102) came to a merciful end,” Amick reported. “His candid self-critique afterward made you wonder how dominant these Lakers might look when Doncic is back to his old self again.
“Such is the unfair advantage of the stunning deal that went down on the night of Feb. 1, when the Dallas Mavericks gave up on their generational star and decided to swap him for the package centered around Anthony Davis in the dark of night,” Amick concluded.
Doncic finished with 21 points on 6-of-20 shooting, including 1-for-9 from deep, 13 rebounds, and five assists against the Timberwolves. While he’s stuffing the stat sheet regularly, shooting 36.5 percent and just 22.4 percent from 3-point range as a Laker doesn’t sit well with him.
While averaging 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in six games, Doncic’s steady production has helped the Lakers, amid a four-game winning streak, crack fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
LeBron James makes a guarantee on Luka Doncic’s shooting
After Thursday’s win against the Timberwolves, Lakers superstar LeBron James shared why he isn’t worried about Luka Doncic’s poor shooting. After facing the Mavericks for the first time since his trade with the Lakers earlier this week, Doncic received encouraging advice from James. Therefore, it didn’t come as a surprise to see LeBron defend his teammate.
James can undoubtedly relate to the pressure Doncic is dealing with after a controversial move. He’s dealt with the scrutiny that came with his decision to sign with the Heat and his struggles on the floor, and he guaranteed to the media that Doncic’s shooting turnaround is coming.
“It’s gonna happen,” James said. “We’re not worried about that. So to be able to still maintain our game and him to still be able to make an impact with him not shooting well right now, that’s what makes him special.”
The Lakers will look to extend their winning streak to five games against the Clippers on Friday.
