Luka Doncic struggled again as the Lakers’ offense faltered in a 100-97 loss to the Hornets.
Luka’s arrival in Los Angeles has come with high expectations, but in a crucial moment against the Charlotte Hornets, it was LeBron James—not Doncic—who took the final shot.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wasn’t surprised.
“I don’t think this was much of a decision for Lakers coach JJ Redick,” he explained. “Luka doesn’t have his legs under him right now.
He was 1-of-9 from three in this game and is just 5-of-24 from deep since joining the Lakers.” Windy said as he revealed that it should be LeBron the one taking the final shot.
Windhorst pointed out that his conditioning remains an issue and that foul trouble limited his effectiveness.
“They were targeting him defensively to the point that Redick actually had to take him off the court in some possessions at the end,” he added.
The bigger concern is how the Lakers’ offense is functioning with Doncic in the lineup. “They only scored 97 points.
Their offense is really not clicking,” Windhorst said. “They’re playing ‘my turn, your turn’ basketball with Luka, LeBron, and Austin Reaves. It’s not a surprise, but it’s a problem.”
The loss to the Hornets was another tough blow for the Lakers, and Windhorst didn’t hold back. “A very bad loss. Arguably their worst of the season,” he said.
With Doncic still adjusting, the Lakers face serious challenges in making their new star fit alongside LeBron and the rest of the roster.
