DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 09: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on April 09, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
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Luka Doncic did not play in the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason opener. While the result of an exhibition tilt is the least consequential aspect of it, the purple and gold suffered a 103-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns. After sitting out Friday’s defeat in Palm Desert, Doncic won’t suit up for Sunday’s road game against the Golden State Warriors, either.
Explaining that decision on the heels of the Lakers’ loss to the Suns, head coach JJ Redick conveyed, “We’re going to use next week to continue to just get him in a good spot, with his body and his energy and all that stuff. He was great the first two days at camp, [but] it was a lot. I think it made sense, given his workload this summer, to just kind of pull back.”
Redick noted that after his offseason transformation into a svelte figure, one that landed him on the cover of Men’s Health, the five-time All-Star is “in a great place physically and mentally.”
Los Angeles’s bench boss also shared that Lakers fans won’t have to wait until the regular season tips off to see this slimmed-down version of Doncic take the floor. “Our expectation [is that] Luka will play in the preseason,” stated Redick.
Bronny James focused on the positives after a tough preseason opener
Along with Doncic, LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent, and Maxi Kleber did not participate in the Lakers’ first exhibition game on Friday. That created ample opportunities for Bronny James.
Unfortunately, the latter, who first checked in as a part of his team’s first wave of substitutions, struggled to find his rhythm. James finished 1/12 from the field. His lone make was a third-quarter three. He missed his other seven attempts from behind the arc.
However, per Matthew Valento of LakersNation.com, post-game, James, who turns 21 on Monday, noted, “I felt like they were pretty good shots.” The 2024 second-round selection explained, “Not rushed, not forcing anything. Didn’t have my legs under me as much as I wanted to, so a lot of them were short, but most of them were on line. I felt like I could have made those. I felt like I took some good shots.”
The former USC standout refused to let those misses take away from his confidence. He also continues to showcase an increased comfort level in handling the ball. It was the continuation of the growth he demonstrated at Summer League.
“Definitely felt like I was more comfortable, especially with the ball in my hands, and with the defensive and offensive schemes,” voiced James after the loss. “But I’m just trying to feel it out. Feeling my way still and just continuing to grow.”
That improvement helped him produce five points at the free-throw line, allowing him to finish with eight points despite his struggles from the field.
To his credit, as James noted, those misses also didn’t detract from his focus on defense. That side of the ball is where the Lakers can have the most confidence about what he’s able to contribute.
“He is so much more comfortable and confident as a player,” stated Redick. “Skill-wise, read-wise, all of those things have improved, but there’s a big difference between improving those things in individual workouts and small group settings and doing it 5-on-5. … He’s a totally different player than he was a year ago. I thought the stuff that he did down in the G League last year was huge for him in developing a comfort level in playing at this level.”
After a year of appreciable growth with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, James has made strides that are setting him up for another meaningful leap in his second professional season. That he’s only about to turn 21 reflects how much room for upside there is.