It has not taken long for Luka Doncic and LeBron James to prove they can play alongside each other.
It is fair to say the Luka Doncic trade caught everybody by surprise. The whole NBA was shellshocked, including Luka Doncic.
And in the immediate aftermath, there were a few hot takes that look freezing cold right now. Including one from NBA champion Paul Pierce.
Pierce claimed on X: “He not the super star La needs doesn’t fit the mold Magic Kobe Shaq LeBron just saying tho bad Move.”
Luka Doncic has settled now with the LA Lakers, already posting his first 30+ points game, before a triple-double against his former team the Dallas Mavericks.
And now speaking to FS1’s Speak, Paul Pierce has admitted he was wrong to write off the pairing of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
He explained: “I was one of the first ones that said, I don’t know if this is going to work. When the trade happened that minute, and I should have thought more about it, because I was like, man, it can work because it’s working because of what JJ Redick was able to do.
“We’re going to put the ball in Luka’s hands, because it’s better in Luka’s hands than not in his hands, because he can’t do the things LeBron can do.
“LeBron can play with the ball, and LeBron can play without the ball. He can run the court, he can slash, he can play a lob threat.
“This is taking more pressure off LeBron to do everything. LeBron, you just go out there and score, rebound and Luka, you can make a lot of the decisions.”
Paying tribute to the remarkable traits LeBron and Luka possess, Pierce doubled down: “The thing that makes it work is their IQ. The great players always figure it out. We’re probably looking at two of the smartest guys in the NBA.”
Paul Pierce did give an assessment after the trade on the Dallas Mavericks’ decision, questioning why they made the call.
He said: “They gave up too fast on him. I mean, he’s only 25 years old, and the one ingredient I always say to win an NBA championship, you got to have a top five player, is Luka.”
The Mavs have come under high pressure since the trade from fans and media, with team CEO Rick Welts admitting he underestimated the backlash to letting the superstar go.
Doncic’s impressive displays have not helped, with Dallas hit by an early injury to Anthony Davis, the player they traded for.
