Doncic: Lakers felt they could compete for NBA title after March run
· Yahoo Sports
For much of this season, the Los Angeles Lakers struggled to play up to the level they were capable of playing at. They won only half of their combined games in December, January and February, and there was talk that their star trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves simply couldn't mesh.
But starting in late February, the Lakers won 16 of 18 games. Doncic was playing otherworldly basketball, and James gracefully accepted and adjusted to a new role as the third scoring option. Suddenly, there was some talk that the team had an outside shot at winning the NBA championship.
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Los Angeles eventually got swept in the Western Conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder after Doncic suffered a season-ending hamstring strain on April 2. But Doncic said that the run L.A. went on late in the season gave him and his teammates lots of confidence.
“I think this season obviously didn’t end how we wanted,” Doncic said. “But I feel like the last push we made in the end of the regular season, we thought we could compete for a championship. I think we had a great team.”
The Slovenian superstar also said that there were plenty of good vibes and positive team chemistry being built during that run.
“It was pretty amazing,” Doncic added. “I think the feeling in the locker room was very good. Every time we stepped on the court, everybody was fighting, and most importantly, everybody was having fun. I think the bond we made was pretty special. Obviously, me and AR got injured in the worst moments. That’s a little bit of bad luck.”
That late-season spurt was likely a sign that this core for the Lakers is capable of doing special things. However, that core needs some help in order to take the next step. Many agree that L.A. needs at least one athletic two-way wing, as well as some sort of upgrade at the center position.
It will also need to re-sign its own free agents, including James and Reaves, while retaining enough salary-cap flexibility to bring in at least one outside player who will address its weaknesses. The Lakers are projected to have as much as roughly $50 million in salary cap space this summer.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Doncic: Lakers felt they could compete for NBA title after March run