Last season, Luka Doncic dealt with so much off-the-court drama that it would have been easy for him to let it affect his production on the court. Instead, he put together a really good campaign while navigating some of the most challenging circumstances he had ever faced.
Doncic wasn't able to see his daughters very often throughout the season. He even admitted that being away from them made last season especially difficult.
“I didn't see them almost the whole season. Yea I can't go another season like that. You wanna spend time with your kids everyday. So last season was pretty hard. I saw them for 5 days in the whole season which is impossible to do. But you know I had to focus on basketball," Doncic said.
This season represents a fresh start for him, as he is officially the face of the franchise and his off-the-court situation appears to have settled down for now. If the Lakers are going to be successful, much of that responsibility will fall on him.
“The Lakers prioritized building around Luka Dončić this summer, getting him his center in Walker Kessler, adding youth and athleticism and finding players who can shoot and attack closeouts. It's a team built around a star, but are they (or is he) good enough to get them to the top of the West," The Athletic’s Dan Woike wrote.
The scoring machine has always been known for his offensive ability. However, Doncic believes he has taken a significant step forward defensively heading into this season.
“Obviously, I’m not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year I really took a step forward. Obviously, people are going to talk what they want to talk [about] me. ... But I know, and my team knows, that I think I’m better this year. And that helps the whole team, I think,” Doncic said.
Doncic has shown improvement on the defensive end since arriving in Los Angeles, which is exactly what the coaching staff has been emphasizing. If he can become a more reliable defender, opposing teams will have a much harder time finding ways to attack him.
The Lakers' coaching staff and front office made improving the team's defense a priority this offseason, and Doncic appears to be doing his part as well. Seeing him become a more complete player on both ends of the floor only makes him more exciting to watch.
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