Wednesday, February 5, 2025 10:47PM
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Los Angeles Lakers newly-acquired star Luka Dončić is set to make his debut in purple and gold on Saturday, Feb. 8 on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+.
The 25-year-old Slovenian scorer hasn’t played since Christmas, and his absence has been long enough to preclude him from qualifying for the All-NBA team, which he has made in the past five consecutive seasons.
Dončić averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists before getting traded to the Lakers Saturday for a package that included star big man Anthony Davis.
Dončić participated in his first practice with the Lakers since joining the team in a stunning trade with Dallas last weekend.
Dončić said he has been trying to treat this injury seriously after he routinely played through minor past injuries, sometimes to his detriment.
“For the first time, I took my time [to] get it to heal 100%,” Doncic said of his return. “Other times, I think I just wanted to go back to the court playing basketball, and I really [wouldn’t] be healthy 100%. This time I just took my time, which was the normal amount of time to get back to 100%.”
What will the Lakers look like with Luka?
Their new superstar is almost certain to start alongside versatile Austin Reaves in the backcourt. He would take the spot recently held by Max Christie, the young 3-and-D wing traded alongside Davis to the Mavericks.
Christie moved into the Lakers’ starting lineup on Dec. 8. Los Angeles hasn’t made extensive use of a traditional point guard since trading D’Angelo Russell on Dec. 29, although veteran Gabe Vincent is usually in the rotation.
Left to right: LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, Luka Doncic, and head coach JJ Redick pose for photos during an introductory NBA press conference on Feb. 4, 2025, in El Segundo, Calif.
40-year-old Lebron James and Reaves initiate much of the Lakers’ offense, but Dončić clearly will have the ball in his hands constantly.
The most obvious place to put James and Dončić together is in pick-and-roll sets. Lakers Coach JJ Redick, who played alongside Dončić in Dallas, is undoubtedly salivating at the prospect of scheming plays for these two supreme playmakers and creative scorers.
As for the Lakers’ defense? Without Davis protecting the rim, they’ll take an enormous step backward. It isn’t tough to imagine James and Dončić simply trying to outscore most teams – and this duo will often have the talent to do it.
Disney is the parent company of this ABC station.
ESPN and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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