The Lakeshow Review

Lakers star Luka Dončić suffered what could be considered a bit of an injury scare while playing internationally for his native country of Slovenia. The incident happened during a play of an exhibition contest against rival Latvia last Wednesday, during a defensive possession. One of his teammates was chasing his man on a ball screen, opting to go over the screen and attempt to stay in front of his man, before eventually losing his footing and colliding with a helping Luka in the paint, eventually knocking both to the ground. The play took Luka out of action for the rest of the game, as he clearly looked to be in some discomfort, after having a player run into his knees, inadvertently. Player collisions involving the lower extremities, specifically the knees is no joke. These plays could result in guys getting hurt. Scary as it was, Luka received some great news from the team’s medical staff, as he appears to have avoided any serious injury. The Slovenian National Team had the following to say in a press release, “After the match in Riga, the team will continue preparations for EuroBasket on Monday – already on Tuesday, a clash with Great Britain awaits us at Arena Stožice. The team will also be joined in training by captain Luka Dončić, who fortunately finished the game against Latvia without injury”. Needless to say, that’s fantastic news for Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers, who just recently inked the Slovenian superstar to a 3-year/$165M extension.

Injuries are a part of the game of basketball. But it’s still a source of anxiousness for both the Lakers and the fans to endure to see star players going at full intensity during international exhibition contests. Safe to say the organization and fans will be keeping a close eye on these contests, as they progress. They are still at the exhibition stage, and the actual games will begin shortly. The Lakers have a championship ambition, after re-signing Luka, and obviously that wouldn’t be near a possibility if he sustained a serious injury. So we all just hope for the best.

In other news, of a positive note, Luka looked GREAT. He scored 26 points against Latvia, before exiting the contest midway through the 3rd quarter. He has looked phenomenal in his first two games with Slovenia thus far, looking to be in his best physical condition in quite some time. His movement and execution on the floor is looking razor sharp, and that’s a great thing for Luka and the Lakers. The 26-year old will look to rejoin the Slovenian roster in practice this Monday, as they look to finish out their round of contests. Hopefully these games are merely a tuneup for Luka, and he can come in to training camp in game shape, ready to help the team win.

This offseason has been an interesting one for Luka, as he has been criticized for last season’s early playoffs exit. Much has been said, or written about his weight and overall physical condition. Thus it’s encouraging to see Luka take those words to heart, and channel them to his own advantage. He seems motivated to prove the doubters wrong and come on strong after his big contract extension. It’s good to witness that type of commitment from a star player; the type of thing that trickles down through the locker room and affects teammates positively. Hopefully Luka can finish playing these remaining games with his national team and stay hurt-free. In the meantime, let’s hope players follow suit and arrive ready for training camp and preseason in October. Go Lakers.