Purple and gold future! The Lakers become Doncic s team: James will have to adjust his style of play after his return

On October 20, the foreign media BasketNews wrote an article looking forward to the Lakers' new season, believing that the future of the Purple and Gold Army has arrived, and Doncic will take up the core banner in advance and preview the "post-James era." The following is relevant content -

When the Lakers shocked the entire NBA by acquiring Doncic through a trade, few expected that the core positioning of the team would change so quickly. As James' career draws to a close, the Lakers have begun reshaping their future around the Slovenian superstar. With James recuperating and Doncic shining, the "torch" handover of the Purple and Gold Army may come earlier than everyone expected.

In February this year, the Lakers officially finalized the deal to bring Doncic to California. At that time, the reaction across the league was "real shock." Few believed the Mavericks would be willing to let go of their core -- especially after Doncic led the team to the Finals the season before.

The purpose of the Lakers' transaction is very clear: not only to obtain the league's top stars, but also to pave the way for the "post-James era" in advance. Doncic is now 26 years old and at the peak of his career; while James will turn 41 in December this year. Although his condition is still excellent, it is an indisputable fact that his career is coming to an end. From the moment Doncic joined the Lakers, the Lakers' "timeline" clearly began to tilt toward him instead of continuing to be built around James.

In the first half of the season when the two teamed up, Doncic was still recovering due to physical problems, but he still led the Lakers to the first round of the playoffs with James, eventually losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This summer, there was some friction between the Lakers management and James' team, but as expected, James finally chose to stay with the team.

James will not be able to play in the first few weeks of the new season - he is troubled by sciatica and is expected to be out for about 4 weeks before undergoing a review. This means that he will miss at least 15 regular season games, and the Lakers' dependence on Doncic will be further intensified. In addition, it is generally believed that James will adopt an "extremely cautious" approach to managing his body this season in order to maintain peak condition during the critical stage of the season. This "conservative strategy" further confirms the fact that Doncic has truly become the core of the Lakers' plan.

For the Lakers, the beginning of this season will be a "preview" of the "post-James era" - when James returns from injury, he will be the one who needs to adapt: ​​Now Doncic is the core of the team, and everyone, including him, needs to adjust to adapt to Doncic's style of play.

Judging from his performance in the preseason, Doncic is much more calm in head coach Redick's tactical system than when he first joined in the middle of last season. Being suddenly traded away from Dallas last season (where he thought he would spend his entire NBA career) not only caused him to lose part of his mind and concentration, but also affected his on-court state.

But this offseason, Doncic completed a "comprehensive rejuvenation" -

Physically: He devoted himself to training and successfully lost weight;

Team support: The Lakers fully supported He represented the Slovenian national team in the European Championships and even sent people to watch the game;

Mental level: Before the last game of the preseason against the Kings, head coach Redick specifically mentioned that Doncic "has become calmer and more peaceful."

"When his mentality is clearer - that is, when he is mentally and emotionally balanced, he can be more free to be himself, which will be reflected in his expression, interaction with teammates, and communication with the coaching staff," Redick explained.

In the two preseason games against the Suns and Kings, Doncic averaged 28 points per game and shot 52% from three-point range. Among them, in the game against the Kings, he handed over comprehensive data of 31 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. Doncic's feelings after the game were also extremely positive: "This feeling is great. In many rounds, everyone can touch the ball and run. I think it is crucial to bring this rhythm to the regular season."

The competition in the Western Conference this season is still fierce, and it will not be easy for the Lakers to get to the end - especially if James' condition this season is not as good as expected. But Redick and his staff were clear that the process of "transforming around Doncic" would have to start sooner than initially planned.

After all, Doncic once led the Mavericks to "defy the odds and reach the finals," exceeding everyone's expectations for that season. The Lakers hope that he can replicate this performance this time, and perhaps get help from James after he returns from injury.

There is no doubt about one thing: after several months of running in, the Lakers have now become "Doncic's team." This was always the team's plan, but reality accelerated the process. Now, the Slovenian superstar must prove that he can use his extraordinary ability to lead this team that is eager to regain the championship back to the winning track.