Luka Doncic Discussion: "Championship Shape"?

LooN3y · May 2, 2025 at 10:49 AM

Luka is lazy on defense, buts thats a effort issue not a skill issue. Lets just hope it just doesn't last his entire career like it did with Melo. Ironically Melo put his best defensive effort in his twilight years because his job/PT depended on it.

I have confidence in Luka, we will get better. He knows its the Lakers, if he gains more weight or slacks off on defensive effort again he's going to get called out.

sirronstuff · May 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM

432J said: ↑

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That’s not the player we got. We got the 33 year old version of that guy. Except he’s not 33.

Pioneer10 · May 2, 2025 at 11:11 AM

sirronstuff said: ↑

That’s not the player we got. We got the 33 year old version of that guy. Except he’s not 33.
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no one wants to hear it on this board but it's like watching the difference between the Shawn Kemp on the Sonics vs Shawn Kemp on the Cavs. Kemp was still effective but ....

abeer3 · May 2, 2025 at 11:18 AM

2023-24 was luka's best year of his career. he looked fairly similar to now, physically. he then got hurt more than once and fell further out of shape. let's see what things look like next year.

i also strongly disagree that this is like the kemp situation.

Pioneer10 · May 2, 2025 at 11:33 AM

Weezy said: ↑

Look, I’m thrilled to have Luka, but defensively he was awful. And it wasn’t just because he got guards on him, he was getting beat off the dribble by McDaniels, Randle, pretty much whoever. He has to get better in that area, I don’t know if it’s conditioning, or technique or what, but he has to be better

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The Randle ones are the most worrisome - yeah Ant you're going to get cooked at some point but the combination of the blow by and allowing to let Randle to go left, his strong hand, reeks both physical and mental lapses there.

abeer3 · May 2, 2025 at 11:36 AM

the randle ones bugged me for the same reason. just at least make him go to his weak hand or have to use a spin. that's more mental than physical, imo. then again, fatigue affects your mind, too.

KareemtheGreat33 · May 2, 2025 at 8:54 PM

Luka will show you championship shape

Kenzo · May 2, 2025 at 10:14 PM

I hope he moves on. We don't deserve a guy like him, we're to spoiled. 10 years with no stars and Rob's "real team building skills" will make us open our eyes and come back down to earth.

JSM · May 3, 2025 at 5:41 AM

While league and team sources say the partnership has been very positive for all parties, with the Lakers going to great lengths to make Dončić aware that they want him to lead the way in their next era, it remains unclear how the five-time All-Star will handle his contract situation. And while he told ESPN before the postseason that he wants to stay with the Lakers, they won’t rest easy until a deal is actually done.

Depending on Dončić’s preference, he has multiple pathways to his next contract. Beginning on Aug. 2, based on salary-cap projections, he can sign a four-year, $229 million extension. To recoup the money he lost in the trade from losing his supermax eligibility, Dončić could sign a shorter three-year, $165 million extension, with a player option for 2028-29 that would coincide with reaching 10 years of service to be eligible for the 35 percent max. In that scenario, he could sign a five-year, $418 million deal in the 2028 offseason.

Dončić also could choose to play out his contract, opt out after 2025-26 and then re-sign for five years, $296 million, or sign with another team for four years, $219 million. According to team sources, the Lakers will be amenable to whatever contract structure Dončić desires.
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When Dončić and Pelinka met in the days after the trade, Dončić told him that he likes playing with a vertical lob threat – similar to Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas – and believes that’s the key to unlocking his offensive potential.

“I’ll do my best for the deadline to see if something like that’s available,” Pelinka recalled telling Dončić when they met in his office days after the trade. “If not, it’s something we’ll attack this summer.”

In a show of good faith and their commitment to their partnership with Dončić, the Lakers traded for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams on Feb. 5, only to rescind the trade a few days later due to concerns about Williams’ physical.

The most glaring need for the Lakers’ roster this summer is a starting-caliber center — and, more specifically, one who can protect the rim and fit with Dončić in pick-and-rolls. The Lakers have almost three months to address the center need and improve the roster before Dončić decides on his future. And while they don’t have any salary-cap space with which to work, they do have over $40 million in expiring contracts, one first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and one first-round pick swap (2030).

“We know this offseason, one of our primary goals is going to be to add size in our frontcourt at the center position,” Pelinka said on Thursday. “That’s going to be part of the equation.”
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JSM · May 3, 2025 at 6:31 AM

Luka playing for Slovenia this summer

He will spend the summer playing for the Slovenian men's national basketball team at EuroBasket, sources said. He'll be accompanied by members of his "body team" -- Slovenian national team strength coach Anže Maček and physiotherapist Javier Barrio Calvo -- throughout the offseason.
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Contract stuff

On Aug. 2, the Lakers can offer Doncic a four-year, $229 million extension. Doncic could also opt to sign a three-year, $165 million extension with a player option in 2028, according to ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks, which would then allow him to sign a max deal in 2028 that would give him 35% of the salary cap for five seasons.

Sources close to Doncic say he will take his time with his decision, even though he told ESPN's Malika Andrews before the playoffs that he wants to stay in Los Angeles.

Doncic was publicly and privately heartbroken by the trade to the Lakers. He'd said he wanted to retire in Dallas. But there is a silver lining to be found, a balm to heal the wounds of a defeat that raises more questions than answers.

"For Luka," a source close to Doncic told ESPN, "he's kind of like, 'I'm wanted here.'"

James made a concerted effort to empower Doncic since he arrived in L.A., sources said, and will not try to sway his teammate's decision.
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Luka Doncic Discussion: "Championship Shape"?

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