The Los Angeles Lakers are going to enjoy their offseason earlier than expected, as they were just eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. Luka Doncic averaged 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on 45.2% shooting from the field, but it wasn’t enough for the Lakers to gain an edge.
This series was undeniably a letdown for the Lakers, especially after they looked like a real threat following Doncic’s arrival midseason. They powered their way to the third seed, playing some of their best basketball down the stretch and raising expectations across the board. But once the playoffs began, something just didn’t click.
Some believe the midseason changes played a part in the Lakers’ struggles. Doncic came in halfway through the season, and while the team clicked quickly in the regular season, playoff basketball has a way of testing what’s real. After the loss, Doncic acknowledged that it’s tough to build chemistry without going through preseason with his teammates, particularly LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
“You know, it’s tough to get that chemistry on the court without any practices,” Doncic said. “So I’m really excited to have the preseason with those two [LeBron and Reaves], so we can learn about each other on the court a lot.”
“I look back, like with Kyrie, when he got traded to the Mavs, we didn’t really connect on the court. Like, we didn’t really know each other—each other’s games. Obviously, you see the game, but you don’t see in the game as teammates. So we can see next year, we kind of just— we had preseason together, and it was just amazing. And that’s how I look at it. You know, it’s tough not having practices and that stuff. But I’m excited about the preseason—having to learn about each other.”
