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NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Dončić played at Madison Square Garden Sunday night, a big game against the New York Knicks in a big-time setting one year after the Lakers and Dončić linked up in a shocking midnight trade.
Over that year, Dončić has shaken off the shell shock. He’s gotten healthy, working past a calf problem. He committed to his diet and conditioning. He signed an extension to lock in his future with the Lakers. And the Lakers have rewarded him by making him the unquestioned face of the franchise and their top priority.
For most everyone, it’s normal enough now to see the no-look passes and stepback 3s get launched by a purple and gold No. 77 jersey. (His ex-teammate in Dallas, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, is one of the exceptions: “Definitely weird. I think we all expected him to be in Dallas. … But now he’s a Laker.”)
Dončić scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds Sunday in the Lakers’ 112-100 loss. It was a game they could’ve won had they shot the ball better from 3 (12-of-42).
“I think we’re in a good spot,” Dončić said. “Obviously, got some work to do. But I think today we obviously missed a lot of good looks, but I think we have a great group.”
While seeing Dončić in a Lakers uniform has become normal, his new organization hopes that some of the roster’s shortcomings around him are just temporary.
“I think whether you’re a GM, a coach, a player, you’re never gonna look at a roster and say, ‘This is a perfect roster, and all the pieces fit perfectly together,’” coach JJ Redick said Sunday. “It doesn’t really happen a lot.”
That looked liked it had happened in Dallas, weirdly enough, before the Mavericks decided their heartbeat needed to be replaced. Dončić’s Mavericks had shooting, size and athleticism. The closest the Lakers come to replicating what Dončić left behind is an elite secondary playmaker. All the best Dončić teams have had one — first Brunson, then Kyrie Irving and now Austin Reaves.
Raiding the Mavericks for all the parts in Dallas still linked to Dončić probably won’t happen. Both team and league sources have expressed immense skepticism that the Lakers and Mavericks will engage in a deal that would make Dončić’s new team better after all of the bad publicity last year’s trade received.
The Lakers (29-19) aren’t going to find all that they need before Thursday’s trade deadline — or in the subsequent buyout market. They’re pressed against the first luxury tax apron, having only the ability to trade a single first-round pick and a single second-round pick. Their players beyond the very top of the roster haven’t generated much interest.
It doesn’t mean nothing will happen. It just means something obvious doesn’t seem imminent.
“Just when it’s quiet,” one Lakers veteran said of the pending deadline, “is when you really need to start looking over your shoulder.”
The good news is that the big part of the Lakers’ plan — the new star — has seemingly fully moved on and is committed to what’s in the locker room even if it doesn’t fit his preferences perfectly.
“I’m not really changing that much,” Dončić said. “Just a little bit, but no problem with that.”
One year after the Lakers traded for Dončić, they’re 10 games over .500 despite a limited number of games with Reaves, Dončić and LeBron James all healthy.
“We’ve had some really good moments. We have some not-so-good moments. We want to continue to try to build off of that,” James said after Sunday’s loss. “I like this group. But we got to continue to get better.
“It’s been tough all season as far as dealing with injuries. Guys in and guys out. Unfortunately, our All-Star two-guard (Reaves) has been out for a minute, and that’s a big piece of our team. So it’s kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be.”
Reaves’ eventual return should be a boost. He’s been out since Dec. 25 with a Grade 2 calf strain, though he’s been listed as “questionable” the last two games.
“I just would say he’s day to day, game to game, however you want to phrase it,” Redick said. “We’ll hopefully have him for Tuesday, but he’s gotta feel 100 percent confident.”
Between the injuries and the roster, things are far from perfect for the Lakers 12 months after trading for Dončić. Still, walking out of Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, the Lakers had their path, their star, their player to build around.
They just have to start truly building. In the meantime, the Lakers’ leaders are expressing confidence.
— The Athletic’s James Edwards contributed to this story.
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Dan Woike covers the Los Angeles Lakers for The Athletic. He’s written about professional basketball in Los Angeles since 2011, first for the Orange County Register and most recently for the Los Angeles Times. His work has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Pro Basketball Writers Association, the Los Angeles Press Club and the California News Publishers Association. He’s originally from Chicago. Follow Dan on Twitter @DanWoikeSports
