Luka Dončić joining the Los Angeles Lakers was the biggest trade of the deadline. When the news hit, the world went through a state of shock as the idea of Dončić teaming up with the legendary LeBron James seemed almost too good to be true.
Since the trade, Dončić and James have blended together well, as the Lakers have seen success with the two on the court, including an eight game winning streak before their current losing streak without James in the line-up.
The only concern that some fans expressed was how these two players who work together. Both players are used to controlling the pace, tempo, and flow of the offense, so there would need to be an adjustment.
To James’ credit, it seems like he has had no issue with adjusting to accommodate Dončić and making him feel at home in this Lakers offense.
Charles Barkley Thinks LeBron James Has Adapted Well to Role Since Dončić Trade
With Dončić being a very ball dominant player, the idea was always that James would have to play more off the ball in order for this new marriage to work.
James has done just that since Dončić’s arrival, and it seems to be a winning formula. Charles Barkley has taken note of this as well, as he gave praise to James for adapting to his new role and welcoming the Lakers’ new superstar in.
"You got to give LeBron a lot of credit because he has accepted the role of being a finisher instead of a starter."
Charles Barkley on LeBron's role now with Luka Doncic on the Lakers 👀
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/qnfzwMmo4k
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 13, 2025
“You got to give LeBron a lot of credit because he has accepted the role of being a finisher instead of a starter. That’s a really big deal. Like he’s catching a lot of fast breaks.”
“Normally, he would wait on the ball and try to be a post forward, but give him a lot of credit because he was the one who was going to have to make the adjustment.”
While James is still currently out with a groin injury, he should be back sooner rather than later. We’ll see how well the Lakers can execute again once James returns to the line-up.
Will the Lakers Finish With a Top 3 Seed in the West?
There are only 18 games left for the Lakers, and it does not get much easier for them from here. In one of the most unprecedented sequences in NBA scheduling, the Lakers are closing out their first of three back-to-backs over the course of the next week.
After they travel to Denver to complete this first back-to-back, the Lakers will face the Suns and Spurs on March 16th and 17th, before hosting the Nuggets and Bucks in yet another back-to-back on March 19th and 20th. We’ve never seen anything quite like this before, and the Lakers already look exhausted, as evidenced by their recent three game skid.
Can the Lakers close out the season strong as James works towards a return? Their schedule is tough, and it will require a lot from the team. Time will tell.