All things considered, Luka Dončić hasn't played all that well in his six games since the Lakers acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks. There were highlights, for sure, but remember, he's Luka Dončić. The bar is pretty high. And yet... the Lakers won again. This time, 111-102 over the (admittedly shorthanded) Wolves. They're now 4-2 since the trade, and 36-21 overall, a game back of Denver for the 3-seed, and 1.5 behind Memphis for the 2. They've won four in a row heading into a pair of home games (Friday and Sunday) against the Clippers. The conventional wisdom (not accepted in this space, it should be noted) was that the Lakers in making the deal took a step backwards for this season in service of the future. What's happening instead is the Lakers continue rising up the standings, remaining one of the NBA's hottest teams while Luka, in his own words, is playing poorly. This has to frighten rivals around the conference, because at some point, whether tonight against the LAC, Sunday or two weeks from now, Dončić is going to morph back into himself. And then what happens? Because the Lakers have shown they can defend, logging a fifth straight game holding an opponent around 100 points. If the offense starts clicking—and in this context "clicking" kinda just means Luka starts hitting shots—it should allow the Lakers more space to breathe from game to game. Margin for error actually works for them, not against. So maybe it means the Lakers before it's all said and done can finish in the top four, and earn home court for the first round. What it does in the meantime is afford them some breathing room for games like tonight, when some combo of Rui Hachimura (knee), LeBron James (hamstring), Jaxson Hayes (hip), Jarred Vanderbilt and Luka (neither guy has been playing back-to-backs). There is no need to push guys through injuries, because they're not fighting just to stay in the play-in zone, as it was the last couple of seasons. If the Lakers, who have been pushing very hard defensively to get the results they have, need to dial it back a little to preserve legs for the playoffs, they've got the space to do it. This stuff matters. LA has shown it can defend. It's hard to believe they won't get better offensively with time. And because of that, everyone from fans, media and (most importantly) the Lakers themselves are looking at the rest of this season with a new sense of potential. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers win, despite struggles from Luka. SEGMENT 2: 33 from James! SEGMENT 3: Breathing room for LA while Luka gets his shot back. Your favorite podcast now has a newsletter! In One-stop for ultimate team and league coverage delivered right to your in box. Sign up for free now, at lockedondaily.com. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Robinhood With Robinhood Gold, you can now enjoy the VIP treatment. The new Gold Standard is here with Robinhood Gold. To receive 3% boost on annual IRA contributions, sign up at robinhood.com/gold. Door Dash They Swoosh, You Save: when any player scores 50 or more points in a game during the 24/25 NBA regular season, DashPass members save 50% on an order, up to $10 off with promo code NBA50. 50% Off 1 Order (Up to $10 Off) Offer valid from 9:00 AM PT through 11:59 PM PT after a 50 point performance in any game during the NBA season on orders placed at participating merchant locations. Valid only in the United States. Maximum value of discount is $10.00. Discount applies to subtotal only; does not apply to fees, taxes, and gratuity. Not valid for pickup. Limit one per person. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Fees, taxes, and gratuity still apply. Must have an active DashPass account. Use promo code NBA50 to redeem. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/. FanDuel Right now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
