When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Dončić, the news sent the NBA into a frenzy. However, many fans wondered how the dynamic between two ball-dominant players would work alongside LeBron James.
The first few games of Dončić’s tenure in LA were rough, and he had yet to find his groove in the offense. But after the Feb. 22 win over the Denver Nuggets, the Slovenian superstar finally showed Laker fans what he is capable of. Following the victory, head coach J.J. Redick explained how he wanted the offense to operate with Dončić.
J.J. Redick Reveals That He Wants Luka Dončić To Orchestrate the Lakers Offense
Redick explained that while James and Reaves will still play on the ball when Dončić is not on the court, he wants the former Maverick to pace the offense most of the time.
“I think Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick explained. “LeBron and [Austin Reaves], because we’re going to stagger everybody, they’re going to have their times being on the ball.”
JJ Redick post game talked about Luka’s future role on the Lakers:
“You know, I think, Luka needs to be the guy who controls the offense, LeBron and AR, because we gonna stagger everybody, they gonna have their times when they’re gonna be on the ball.” pic.twitter.com/tpRC8bTZFb
— SLO HOOPS FAN 🇸🇮 (@SloHoopsFan) February 23, 2025
Dončić easily had his best performance since coming over in the trade against Denver. He scored 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and assisted seven baskets in 31 minutes.
“All three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players, and we can create mismatches,” Redick continued. “A lot of the time, that’s how we were able to get them what I thought were some great looks in the first half.”
James still had 25 points in the victory, but he only had five assists, which is extremely low for his standards. Since Dec. 2, the future Hall of Famer has posted five or fewer assists just twice — and they’ve both come in the last two games. This could mark the beginning of James taking on a larger off-ball role.
Even when Dončić played with Kyrie Irving in Dallas, he was the primary ball handler in the Mavericks’ backcourt. After averaging 9.8 assists per game in the 2023-24 season, Dončić made it clear that very few players in the league can match his playmaking abilities.
Redick is an innovative basketball mind and has to figure out how to make these two standout players thrive together. He seems to think that letting Dončić facilitate the offense gives the purple and gold the best chance to succeed.
Given the magnitude of the trade, it was expected that the Lakers would go through some growing pains. Not only will the acquisition of Dončić give the Lakers a massive offensive boost, but he will also be able to take the load off the 40-year-old James to keep his legs fresh.
