El Segundo – When Luka Daceic arrived for the first time in southern California after the shocking blockbuster who sent him from Dallas Mavericks to Lakers, he recognized that he had even more to accomplish.
Despite all the individual distinctions he accumulated during his first six complete seasons of the League, there is a major price that the 26 -year -old Slovenian star did not make: winning an NBA title.
The urgency to achieve this objective only increased when Donic has joined a franchise which has already won 17 years, the second largest part in the history of the League, with the trophies of the Larry O’Brien championship sitting outside a window overlooking the training ground – a constant recall of what the organization strives.
“You are not coming here for nothing other than championships,” said Doncic during his introductory press conference in Lakers on February 4. “So I have everything to prove. And the goal is to win a championship.”
Two and a half months after his mandate in Lakers and about to make his debut in the playoff series for the team in match 1 of the series of Sept-sept-seven Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday in Crypto.com, Doncic has the impression that the Lakers can face a championship.
“We have a big team,” said so after training on Thursday. “We have guys who are ready to go to war. Everyone stays together. Chemistry is high. We certainly have a chance. ”
The Lakers feel that they were able to accelerate their chemistry despite this iteration of the team which is not together too long not only because of their communication out of the field, but because of the moments they shared on it.
Among them, there were victories on the Nuggets of Denver, the Clippers (twice) and the Knicks of New York in the three and a half weeks of Doncic making his debut at the Lakers; Support Doncic during his return to Dallas during the victory on the road on April 9 on the Mavericks; And win a season of 50 wins and seeded n ° 3 from the Western Conference with the Home Victory of April 11 against the Houston Rockets, who crowned a period of two weeks during which they also beat the Memphis grizzles, Oklahoma City Thunder and Rockets twice.
“We did a good job trying to move as best as possible with the short time we had,” said Dorian Finney-Smith.
But a large part of the internal confidence of the Lakers in their chance to face a championship this year stems from Doncic, which led the Mavericks to the NBA final last year before falling to the Boston Celtics.
The average of the Doncic of 30.9 points qualifying series is the second highest in the history of the league behind Michael Jordan (33.45).
It should be noted that when he was asked what stood out from the video tribute that the Mavericks brought together for his return to American Airlines Center last week, Donéic underlined his winning shot on the center of Minnesota Rudy Gobert in match 2 of the final of the Western conference last year.
“I like big games,” said Donic. “The playoffs (are) a fun moment. Everyone is 100%playing. It’s just fun to be there.”
And in Dononic, the Lakers think they have a player who can lead them to their ultimate goal.
“It’s exciting,” said Finney-Smith. “I already know that he is going to come with the juice. He likes the moment. Knowing him, I must probably calm him too because he will barked. It will be exciting, it will be exciting.”
Series calendar
(Best of-Seven, all time pt)
Game 1: Saturday, at the 5.30 p.m. (ABC / Ch. 7)
Game 2: Tuesday, at the 7 p.m. (TNT / SSN)
Game 3: Friday April 25, in Minnesota, 6.30 p.m. (ESPN / SSN)
Game 4: Sunday April 27 at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m. (ABC / Ch. 7)
* Game 5: Wednesday April 30 at La, Time TBD (TV TBD)
* Game 6: Friday May 2 at Minnesota, Time TBD (TV TBD)
* Game 7: Sunday, May 4 at La, Time TBD (TV TBD)
* – if necessary
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
