Lakers Newsletter: How Luka Doncic found his joy back

Welcome to this week’s Lakers Newsletter. Things get weird (in a good way) in this newsletter. Lakers basketball officially resumes on Tuesday, with the team beginning the regular season against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.

Coach JJ Redick downplayed any suggestion that his feelings in his second year at the helm are much different than last year, but his words resonated with me as I enter my first full season in the NBA world.

“What’s interesting about this work is the chaos,” Reddick says.

Embrace this chaos.

make Luke happy again

Redick has nothing to say about Luka Doncic’s actions. as the star guard jumped onto the court after taking a one-legged jump shot. Doncic grins on the bench after making a particularly bold pass. When he has the ball in his hands, he makes unimaginable feats seem possible.

“He’s a weirdo,” Reddick said as affectionately as possible.

“He has the ability to do what I would call stupid things, but still be locked in. It’s important to him that basketball is fun. … He’s playing, and that’s part of what makes him great.”

Doncic was 19 years old when he was drafted third overall in 2018. People called him “Wonder Boy”. He played with the joy of a child discovering something new every time he stepped onto the court.

He is currently 26 years old. He understands that the NBA isn’t always about bold step-back threes and high-flying lobs. Sometimes business can be disrupted. Doncic’s ability to bridge the gap between his inner child and outward veteran will be what determines the Lakers’ success this year.

“Being in a clearer headspace, mentally and emotionally balanced, gives him the freedom to be who he is,” Redick said of Doncic. “It’s reflected in his facial expressions, his interactions with his teammates, his interactions with the coaching staff, his desire to firmly toe the line between competition and joy and playfulness, and that’s what makes him a truly special person and player.”

Redick has his own take on Doncic’s style. They were teammates in Redick’s final year in Dallas. They unexpectedly reunited in a late-night trade that was so monumental that it dominated the conversation at the Super Bowl.

But the shocked version of Doncic wasn’t the fun player Redick remembered. Doncic said the basketball court has always been his “peaceful place.” This trade not only shattered the spirit of the entire NBA, it also shattered Doncic’s own spirit.

“The joy wasn’t there,” Doncic said.

Doncic also suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for a week after the trade. He made his debut on February 10th. Looking back, he says that first game was the highlight of his first season as a Laker because of the way the crowd welcomed him. But Doncic said it probably took 10 or 15 games for his joy to really return.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human,” guard Austin Reaves said. “It’s not that we here are robots without feelings or emotions. … That doesn’t mean he wasn’t fun to be around. He was always, and still is, joking around and having fun, but you could tell he was still at peace. And he was excited to go to war with us every night.”

Doncic is trying to be a more vocal leader this season. As time has healed the wounds from the trade, Doncic said he feels more comfortable speaking out to his teammates. He gave them a Porsche driving experience as a team bonding activity and gifted everyone with his latest signature shoe. He just playfully swapped jerseys with Jared Vanderbilt at a recent practice. He and Rui Hachimura argue about each other’s taste in music.

Doncic isn’t the most gregarious interview subject in front of reporters, but he trudged along dutifully in front of a throng of cameras and reporters after Monday’s practice. Reeves walked by and said loudly enough for everyone to hear that Doncic was his “favorite teammate ever.”

Doncic laughed and said Reeves is his least favorite.

“He’s a big kid,” Doncic quipped. “You sound very childish.”

But in Doncic’s world, that’s a good thing.

defense wins

Gabe Vincent started in place of LeBron James in the final preseason game and will likely continue in that role once the season begins in earnest. He certainly won it.

Vincent averaged 16.3 points per game on 55.6% 3-point shooting in the preseason. It was a glimpse that the player who helped the Heat advance to the NBA Finals could also play an active role in Miami.

The 29-year-old guard is a gritty defender and strong communicator. The Lakers need it to improve a defense that allowed the Sacramento Kings to shoot 54.7 percent from the field while playing without stars Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan.

Doncic said the big thing missing from the Lakers’ defensive performance is physicality. Redick said he had a flat performance in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, but saw what the defense could do in bursts of two or three plays each game. The key here is to turn the flash into a sustained stretch.

“Building habits, building communication and getting in shape is how you build a good defense,” Reddick said, repeating his three mantras this year. “You could put up ‘championship defense.’ What does that mean? Actually, what does that mean? It means nothing. Literally means nothing. How do you play a championship defense? You have to have great habits. You have to be able to communicate. That builds trust. And you have to be elite, playing harder than the other team every night. It’s that simple.”

Favorite thing I ate this week

Not a bad gig to make a living watching basketball and eating at various restaurants around the country in between games. But after days or even weeks on the road, a delicious home-cooked meal takes on a completely different impression.

That’s why my culinary highlight this week is Trader Joe’s oxtail ragu and pappardelle pasta. And since I like to rely on home-cooked meals after road trips, leftovers are waiting for me in the freezer until later this season. There’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of noodles.