Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup

Lakers Notes: Luka Doncic's Historic Start

Luka Doncic became just the second player in NBA history to score over 40 points in each of his first three games of a season. Returning from injury on Friday, the Lakers superstar guard scored 44 points in a win over Memphis. This achievement places him alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to begin a season with three consecutive 40+ point games.

Doncic had missed the previous three games due to a sprained finger on his left hand and a contusion on his lower left leg.

“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when informed about joining Chamberlain in this category, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it’s going to be scoring, sometimes other things.”

Scoring Average and Comparisons

By averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more points in any three-game span. However, he does not expect to maintain this scoring pace over a full season.

“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic said. “Sometimes they’re going to double me more. Sometimes I won’t be able to score that much. I had, I think, three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. I don’t know.”

Team Dynamics without LeBron James

The decision to let LeBron James go appears to be easier for the Lakers as they have demonstrated they can win and function better as a team without him.

Summary

Luka Doncic’s stellar start to the season has matched historic NBA feats while leading the Lakers to success without LeBron James, highlighting a promising new chapter for the team.

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