The Lakers are moving into a new phase, and Luka Doncic is right at the center of it. With LeBron James making his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, Los Angeles is looking to Doncic and Austin Reaves to help steer the franchise forward.
Doncic got some preseason run, though the Lakers were mostly focused on keeping him fresh for the regular season. Even in limited action, he still picked up a technical foul.
“Annnnnnnnd we have a preseason technical foul on Luka Doncic. You may recall Luka getting suspended for techs last spring,” The Athletic’s Law Murray wrote.
That moment fed into a broader concern that has followed Doncic into this season. He has already been outspoken about his commitment to the Lakers, sending a message to fans just hours before the opener against the Golden State Warriors.
“Dear LA, Tonight we start our run for a championship. Every player dreams of holding that trophy. To do it for all of you amazing fans would mean everything to us," Doncic said.
He has also made it clear he wants to be on the floor every game this year. But ESPN’s Brian Windhorst pointed to one glaring issue in that plan: how often Doncic gets caught up with officials.
“When you say 'I'm not gonna take a night off’, are you going to take possessions off because you're complaining to the officials,” Windhorst said.
Last season, Doncic was suspended for one game after going over the NBA’s technical foul limit. Now, after another preseason tech for arguing with a referee, the Lakers are already seeing the same problem surface again. If he’s serious about playing every night, that edge with officials has to come under control.
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