The Lakers’ 6-0 streak came to an end. They had looked incredibly strong this month, both on the court and in the trade window, where they made a headline-grabbing move by signing none other than Luka Doncic. But not everything in LA can be all roses and sunshine. Jaws dropped on Wednesday as they marched into Utah, only to take an L from the team at the bottom (14th spot) of the Western Conference. This loss led to a deep dive into the game, raising questions for head coach JJ Redick and their newly acquired guard.

After the 131-119 result, Jovan Buha analyzed the game on his show and addressed some fan questions. One of them was whether Redick would let Doncic, who scored 16 in the game, run the offense more when he’s healthy, as the fan believed the Slovenian needed to be more involved in that field given his past record. The Lakers insider responded to question with a definitive “Yes.” He further emphasized, “I think he’s been running the offense a bit.”

To back up his claim, Buha pulled up Doncic’s usage rate from his debut game against the Jazz on Monday, which he noted was 29%, and compared it to this game. He double-checked it and confirmed, “His usage tonight was 34.5%,” which was higher than Austin Reaves and LeBron James, as per the insider. “He actually had, like, his usage went up by 5% this game… Austin’s went up. I think he was 17% in the first game, so he went up to 20, and then LeBron went down a lot. LeBron was 34% in the first game, he was at, you know, whatever, 20 tonight. So, Luka actually had the ball a lot more tonight, and I thought it looked good for the most part,” Buha stated.

However, Buha did point out some flaws, like 5 turnovers and some miscommunication with teammates, since it’s only Doncic’s second game. A bit more time is definitely needed for him to settle in. Despite that, the insider believes Redick could involve him more in the offense going forward. He added, “He’s going to be much more involved in the offense, and I think that’s a good thing. So, I do expect that to be a post All-Star break adjustment.”

While that could be a change for Doncic after the break, there are definitely some concerns about him that could give Redick and the Purple and Gold a headache.

Luka Doncic’s issues could be a problem for the Lakers’ championship hopes

Luka Doncic entered the season with high hopes of bringing glory back to the Mavericks. However, he spent most of the time sidelined due to injuries taking their toll. And the biggest blow came on Christmas, when he sustained a strain in his left calf, which kept him out for over a month. Before he could return to the hardwood, the franchise traded him to the Lakers.

Although Doncic has shown enthusiasm in embracing this new chapter, there are still challenges he needs to overcome. Last season, he faced criticism for his slow pace and defensive struggles, with many pointing fingers at his weight as a contributing factor.

The Slovenian’s slow conditioning could also be a major disadvantage for the Lakers, who are eyeing the championship. Moreover, there’s not much time left for this to come together. But given the type of player Luka Doncic is, it may not take long for him to build chemistry with teammate LeBron James and maybe the duo can lead the team to a success, one never knows. Now, whether the trade turns out to be a headache or a lucrative move for the Lakers will become clear in the coming months.