Charles Barkley analyzed the impact of Luka Doncic’s arrival on the LA Lakers after they traded with Anthony Davis. Barkley believes the Lakers gained little and remain weaker against the West’s top teams.
The LA Lakers face challenges with Doncic’s arrival, bringing a new potent to their already-packed lineup. His presence could disrupt the team’s chemistry, potentially disrupting their good record this season.
In Thursday’s NBA on TNT, Barkley raised how the LA Lakers would continue to struggle against their Western rivals, especially with Doncic’s adjustment to their dynamics, coupled with their defensive issues:
“OKC [Thunder] is the team to beat. I don’t think the Lakers are better than the Mavs. I’m not sure if they’re better than Memphis. I’m not sure if they’re better than the Rockets. … They’re not gonna be good defensively. It’s gonna be a really hard adjustment for Luka Doncic, in my opinion.”
“It’s gonna be a really hard adjustment for Luka Dončić.” 😳
Chuck on Luka’s fit with the Lakers 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/gwTegtINj7
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 7, 2025
Barkley continued his criticisms of the Lakers-Mavericks trade. In his NBA TV appearance last Thursday, the “Bread Truck” also raised an issue that Doncic would struggle with LeBron James’ control over ball handling.
“This thing is not going to be smooth in LA with (Doncic) and LeBron. There’s going to be some serious growing pains when those two try to play together,” Barkley said.
“This thing is not going to be smooth in LA with [Luka] and LeBron.” 😳
Charles Barkley on how Anthony Davis and Luka Dončić fit with their new squads 🤝 pic.twitter.com/4nA5sUApX3
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 2, 2025
James averages 24.1 points this season, while Doncic has 28.1. The LA Lakers would undergo huge changes to adapt to their scoring leaders’ talents.
Despite the challenges, Doncic expressed interest in playing with LBJ and the LA Lakers. While the former is still out due to his calf injury, he might return to the Lakers’ Monday match against the Utah Jazz.
LA Lakers’ 2025 Trade Period Summary
While Anthony Davis’ departure from the LA Lakers shocked many, the team hopes they’ll amend for the big man’s loss through the additions they’ve acquired during this season’s trade period. Besides acquiring Luka Doncic, the Lakers received young players and future draft picks.
Long before the Doncic-Davis trade last Saturday, the Lakers were already in the business by getting Dorian Finney-Smith in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and other draft picks last December.
The Purple and Gold also acquired Maxi Kleber and veteran Markieff Morris in the Doncic deal, although they had to sacrifice some of their rising prospects by trading Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and future draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for center Mark Williams.
Despite notable subtractions, the LA Lakers gained stars and prospects that could shape their future runs. Doncic is still 25, while Williams and Finney-Smith’s productions could provide them with the necessary defense. The team still has a long way to go this season, but with their new additions, they could’ve secured a better result before the playoffs.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
