Doncic ready to lead Lakers without LeBron: “Whatever it takes to win”

Lakers Face Challenge Without LeBron James: Doncic Takes the Lead

The Los Angeles Lakers team is preparing to face a season start with the absence of LeBron James, who is recovering from sciatica on the right side of his body. Meanwhile, star Luka Doncic has expressed that he does not feel the need to take on greater responsibility in the absence of James.

“I don’t see it that way. I just want to play basketball. If I do less, if I do more, whatever is needed to get a win.”

Luka Doncic

The Lakers, without James and Doncic, have yet to achieve a win in the preseason, with losses against the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. The team will face the Warriors again in a preseason game on Sunday. Lakers coach JJ Redick has not yet confirmed whether Doncic will play in this match. Sunday marks the start of a series of three preseason games in four days for the Lakers, which will continue with a road game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and the second consecutive game against the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Redick has indicated that Doncic will participate in two of the remaining four Lakers preseason games. Doncic, after his participation with Slovenia in the EuroBasket this summer, has had a modified workload to avoid physical wear and tear. The 26-year-old player explained that the goal is to prepare for the long season ahead. Redick now faces the challenge of replacing James’ absence, who will be out of the courts for the next three to four weeks while recovering from his injury.

“We hope he returns soon. Those things can be complicated. It’s not clear what the starting lineup will be, that’s the reality, until he returns. We’ll have to figure it out.”

JJ RedickDoncic, along with Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton, will occupy three of the five positions in the starting lineup. Redick will need to evaluate the options for the other two starting positions, considering Rui Hachimura, who started in most of last season’s games, and Jarred Vanderbilt, who has started in the preseason games so far. Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart also offer different offensive and defensive options to the team. Smart, who has also been out of action at the start of the preseason due to Achilles tendinopathy, will play against the Warriors, according to Redick. Redick has considered the possibility of having a lineup and rotation that adapt better when James is on the court, and another different one when he is not. Doncic has mentioned that he and James have “talked a lot” while observing the Lakers’ practices from the bench during training camp, which has helped improve the team’s chemistry. For now, James’ contribution during the matches will be limited to his support from the bench.

“It’s a big change. He’s a great player. He can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality has to be ‘next’. We have a group of guys who have been practicing and we hope LeBron can join us as soon as possible. Obviously, we’re going to need him. But our mentality has to be ‘next’. That’s it.”

Luka Doncic