Post-trade deadline, all eyes are on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Not only have they won 12 of their last 14 games, climbing to fourth place in the Western Conference, but they added one of the top-three players in the league in Luka Doncic to their roster.
Doncic had his Lakers debut on Monday, finishing with 14 points on 5-for-14 shooting from the field, including going 1-for-7 from beyond the arc in 24 minutes in the Lakers' 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz. Doncic, who hadn't played since Christmas because of a left calf strain, was clearly shaking off some rust, but there were glimmers of what this team could become when he hits his stride.
There was a 3-pointer. A drive-and-kick to Rui Hachimura. A fadeaway jumper. A sequence in which he drove down the lane, splitting defenders.
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It's clear that he and LeBron James are going to have chemistry. And that's undoubtedly going to be a big problem for the rest of the league.
RELATED: Why Luka Doncic's Lakers legacy could be different than LeBron James'
Meanwhile, Mavericks fans remain so upset over the trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for the now-injured Anthony Davis that the team reportedly had to beef up security for general manager Nico Harrison.
And in Monday's Mavericks game, multiple fans were ejected from American Airlines Center because of violations of the league's code of conduct, including two fans that held a poster with the words "FIRE NICO."
It was a much happier scene in Laker Land on Monday, where general manager Rob Pelinka is widely being celebrated and Doncic was embraced by fans with open arms. Even LeBron James temporarily ceded his spot in the pregame introductions to Doncic, in which his name gets called last, to give the team's newest superstar the spotlight in his first game with Los Angeles.
Doncic, who was clearly shaken by the trade and the subsequent comments about his conditioning, is going to have something to prove this season, a dangerous prospect for a superstar who's already perennially in the conversation for the MVP award and who took his team to the Finals last season.
Questions remain regarding whether the Lakers have enough defensive power to go far. And they received a blow when they chose to rescind their trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams due to a reported failed physical exam, leaving them with a giant hole at the five spot. They attempted to plug that leak Tuesday b signing free agent Alex Len, a 31-year-old, 7-footer, who has career averages of 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes over 12 seasons in the league.
Right now, the Lakers are the team to watch.
LeBron and Luka?
If nothing else, this is going to be a lot of fun.
NBA Power Rankings
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Boston Celtics
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Houston Rockets
- New York Knicks
- LA Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Golden State Warriors
- Indiana Pacers
- Golden State Warriors
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Dallas Mavericks
- Sacramento Kings
- Detroit Pistons
- Miami Heat
- Atlanta Hawks
- Phoenix Suns
- San Antonio Spurs
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Orlando Magic
- Chicago Bulls
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Brooklyn Nets
- Toronto Raptors
- Utah Jazz
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Washington Wizards
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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