NBA legend Paul Pierce points out how Luka Doncic has changed the expectations of the Los Angeles Lakers this season.
For the first time since the 2019-20 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers look like a legitimate championship contender.
While 40-year-old LeBron James has done a great job of leading the team, the Purple and Gold have truly taken things up a notch since the surprising Luka Doncic trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
They currently sit at a 39-21 record, which is good enough to put the 17-time NBA champions in the second spot on the Western Conference standings.
For 22 years and counting, James has managed to stay one of the best players in the league. One would think it’s impossible to improve his skills as the King is usually credited for making his teammates better.
However, Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce believes Doncic has unlocked a new level for James since getting traded to the Lakers.
“The one thing he did do, he came and uplifted LeBron. Like, LeBron looks different.
“The Lakers team looks different. They’re playing their best basketball of the season right now since Luka got there,” Pierce told FS1’s SPEAK.
As unbelievable as it may sound, James is playing a different brand of basketball since Doncic’s arrival.
Throughout his career, LBJ has been dubbed as a ball-dominant player, but with Luka on the floor, he has opted to stay off-the-ball and still impact the game.
Coming back to Pierce’s major point on Doncic’s impact, it’s that the 26-year-old has given the belief to the Lakers that they are once again a prime contender to lift the illustrious Larry O’Brien trophy.
“So in saying that, sometimes it’s not all about the numbers, how do you influence winning? How do you influence a culture? How do you influence just everything around the belief?” Pierce continued.
“They went from a team that would have been happy making the playoffs, now because of Luka, they feel like they could win a championship.
“And that belief wasn’t there before he got there,” he concluded.
Right now, the Lakers are on a seven-game winning streak as they continue to silence their critics. What’s scary is the fact that Doncic is still improving the chemistry with his teammates.
As the playoffs near, the Don will only get better and that version of the Purple and Gold, under JJ Redick’s coaching, could very well win it all.
