The Lakers just pulled off a heart-stopping 120-119 win over the Pacers, and while LeBron James’ game-winning tip-in stole the headlines, there’s a bigger story brewing in LA—Luka Doncic, LeBron, and Austin Reaves are still trying to figure things out on the court. And let’s just say, it hasn’t been the smoothest process.
After Doncic joined the Lakers in a stunning trade from the Dallas Mavericks, the player has managed to stay in the headlines for the last seven weeks. First, it was because of how quickly he learned the ropes… In his team debut vs the Utah Jazz on February 10, Doncic managed to score 14 points in 24 minutes as the Lakers won 132–113. By the next two weeks, he’d already roped in his first triple-double vs his former team with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 107–99 win. In fact, in all of his games for the Lakers, Doncic has finished with double-digits. No wonder fans have been mesmerized, and so was LeBron James.
Taking a creative route to explain his dynamic partnership with Doncic, James had said last month, “I’m a natural-born wide receiver and he’s a natural-born quarterback, so it’s perfect. I’m running the floor, running the lanes all my life, playing with great passers pretty much all my life, it’s not hard to get into rhythm when it comes to that. So now it really is about getting to that phase when we talk with eye contact, and him just being a great quarterback like he is.” However, come March 27, a few cracks have started to show…
Despite the Los Angeles Lakers outlasting the Indiana Pacers, Doncic himself admitted it—he’s still learning how to mesh with his new teammates, especially LeBron and Reaves, who already have that built-in chemistry. As if that wasn’t enough, head coach JJ Redick is getting more and more frustrated with Luka’s defense. Yes, winning is a good feeling, but the Lakers have some serious kinks to work out. While King James had the worst shooting nights of his career, he did pull off a buzzer-beater to seal the win with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Doncic, on the other hand, pulled off a game-high 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists—his fourth straight 30-point game after James did it in 2022. However, all hell broke loose soon…
In a purely cinematic moment, the 26-year-old fouled Tyrese Haliburton with just 42.2 seconds remaining, allowing the Pacers to take the lead, and almost win. What’s more? After the Pacers game, reporters asked Doncic about that final possession, where he missed a floater, only for LeBron to save the day. Instead of dodging the question, Luka straight-up admitted that he hesitated to pass to James earlier in the play. And that’s kind of the whole problem right now. He’s still figuring out when to take charge and when to let LeBron take it away.
And it’s not just a clutch-time issue. Luka put it bluntly: “It’s still a lot of work to do, just trying to understand what those two guys want. They’ve played together for years, so they know each other more. I’ve got to watch film and adapt to that.” LeBron and Reaves have a natural rhythm. Luka? He’s still reading the instruction manual. James, on the other hand, doesn’t seem too concerned. After the game, Doncic shared a photo of the duo embracing in a post-game celebration, which the veteran shared and wrote, “Yessir my brother!! Great road W.” Looks like the brotherhood is intact!
Notably, this comes days after Doncic had come under fire after the team’s loss against the Orlando Magic. Former NBA star Kendrick Perkins had said, “The defensive effort that Luka has been putting forth has to be called out. He has to do better defensively. He has to bring that energy like he does on the offensive side of things. He cannot be a liability, because teams are going to search him out.”
Reaves, to his credit, isn’t worried either. He’s talked about how playing more minutes together will help smooth things out. But let’s be real—this isn’t some rebuilding team that can afford to be patient. The Lakers are trying to win now, and they need this trio firing on all cylinders ASAP.
JJ Redick is NOT happy with Luka’s defense
If Luka’s offensive chemistry is a work in progress, his defense is… well, let’s just say Redick isn’t exactly throwing him a parade for it.
During his post-game press conference, Redick got real about what went wrong during a stretch where the Lakers’ defense completely collapsed. The Pacers scored three times in 70 seconds, and Redick didn’t hold back: “It starts on the ball. And that continues to be a point of emphasis for us.” Luka, my guy, lock in on defense.
Redick did acknowledge that Luka had some decent defensive moments, even pointing some out at halftime. But overall, the message was loud and clear—he needs to step it up. The Lakers’ defense has been shaky all season, and if their superstar guard isn’t fully engaged on that end, it’s just making things worse.
And that’s where it all ties together. Luka’s still figuring out his role on offense, his defense is frustrating his coach, and meanwhile, the Lakers are losing games they really can’t afford to drop. Not exactly a great mix.
The timing couldn’t be worse. The Lakers have lost seven of their last ten games and are currently on a three-game skid. This isn’t just an early-season slump—they’re running out of time to get their act together.
Sure, LeBron missing games with injuries hasn’t helped, but even with him back, the chemistry between him, Luka, and Reaves is still a work in progress. And while we’ve seen flashes of brilliance—like Luka dropping 34 against the Pacers and LeBron coming through in the clutch—the Lakers can’t keep relying on individual heroics. They need actual team cohesion.
Luka Doncic knows it. Redick knows it. And if the Lakers don’t figure it out soon, this season could go south in a hurry.
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