The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history when they acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. LA acquired a superstar who is an All-NBA talent and one of the greatest offensive talents we have seen. The move not only boosted their long-term outlook, but their short-term one as well.
Pairing Doncic with LeBron James gives the Lakers one of the most dangerous duos in the NBA and makes them an even more potent offensive team. Doncic has also been rounding into form in the last few games, including a 32-point outburst against the Nuggets and a triple-double against the Mavericks.
It will be tough for any West team to beat a duo of Doncic and James in seven games.
The Lakers are now the fourth seed in the West and only a game and a half back of the second-seeded Grizzlies. LA has an 18-7 record since the new year, and they rank tenth in offensive rating (116.5), third in defensive rating (109.7), and fourth in net rating (6.8) in that same span.
With Doncic, the Lakers have a net rating of +11.3 and an offensive rating of 117.1. Their defense has remained stout with a 105.7 rating, despite losing Anthony Davis. Guys like Dorian Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, and Jarred Vanderbilt have all stepped up on that end of the floor, in addition to James playing at an All-Defense level, according to head coach JJ Redick.
Speaking of James, he has been on a tear all season but has flipped a switch since Christmas. James is averaging 26 PPG, eight rebounds, and nine assists per game in that stretch. Since the All-Star break, his averages have ballooned to 30 PPG, eleven rebounds, and six assists on 55 percent shooting and 41 percent from three-point range. It seems like the Doncic trade was James’ version of the fountain of youth.
The formula for winning games for LA has been simple: get stops and rely on their ability to have either both or one of Doncic and James on the court for 48 minutes a night. It’s a simple but effective way of winning, and it has been working.
When talking about championship contenders in the NBA, there are the Celtics, Cavs, Thunder, and Nuggets. It is now time we put the Lakers in that same tier. They have been that good and are peaking at the right time. LA has all the tools to make a deep postseason run this season and no one is going to want to see them in a seven game series.