Luka Doncic drops emoji-filled reaction ahead of playoffs, sharing electric Lakers hype video
The LA Lakers are getting ready for their playoff debut. As the No. 3 seed, they will face the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason. That will give Luka Doncic a chance to knock out Anthony Edwards in back-to-back seasons.
Notably, Doncic looks excited ahead of the start of the playoffs. He posted a hype video on X with some of his Lakers highlights, teasing the fans about what's to come.
Doncic has always taken his game up a notch after the regular season. Per Stat Muse, he averages 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.0 assists in the playoffs, and he's fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals last season.
The Timberwolves closed the regular season on a high, taking down the Golden State Warriors to secure the No. 6 seed, so they won't be an easy opponent to get past.
The Lakers have gone 18-10 in 28 games with Doncic in the lineup, and he's averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game next to LeBron James.
As good a player as Anthony Davis is, in Doncic, the Lakers received another ball-handler, shot-creator and three-level scorer, not to mention someone who can take the ball up the court and pull the strings of the offense when James is on the bench.
Luka Doncic can lead the Lakers to a championship, says Jovan Buha
All things considered, Luka Doncic has unleashed a new dimension of Lakers basketball. That's why Jovan Buha of The Athletic believes they now have a legitimate shot at winning an NBA championship:
"I think Luka really gave this group a true belief they could win the championship this year," Buha said. "I think they were trending that way before the Luka-AD trade."
Buha pointed out that Doncic's arrival helped JJ Redick's team develop an identity.
"They started to figure out an identity on both sides of the ball. They had some impressive wins without AD, who had just gone down with injury," Buha added. "But it felt like they kind of supercharged that once they brought Luka in."
The Doncic trade will go down as one of the most controversial and talked-about in professional sports history, especially if the Lakers go all the way this season and the Mavericks don't make it past the first round.