The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to start the season without LeBron James, who is out with sciatica on the right side of his body.
But Luka Doncic isn't feeling the added pressure of carrying the load in his absence.
“I don't think so,” Doncic said after Saturday's practice. “I just want to play basketball. If I do less, if I do more, I can win no matter what it takes.”
Doncic acknowledged that losing LeBron, even temporarily, changes a lot.
“It's a big change,” he said. “He's a great player. He can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be 'the next guy.' We have a group of guys that have been training and hopefully LeBron will join us soon.” We obviously need him. But our mindset has to be “next.” That's it. “
The Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors in the preseason before beating the Warriors.
JJ Redick confirmed Doncic will play in two of Los Angeles' remaining four preseason games and does not want to miss James for an extended period of time.
“You wish [LeBron’s] Be back soon,” Reddick said. “These things can be tricky. … It’s unclear what the starting lineup will be until he comes back, that’s just the reality. We have to find a way to solve this problem. “
After a week of lighter workload, Luka was fully involved in training.
“I have [the] national team,” he said, referring to his time playing for Slovenia at the European Basketball Championship. “Played basketball for about a month. [for Slovenia]. Obviously, it's a long season ahead, so that's why. “
Currently, the Lakers are expected to make up their starting five with Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton.
Redick said he is also considering separate rotations when James is on and off the court, testing to maximize the combination of the two lineups.
READ MORE: NBA GM predicts Thunder repeat, Jokic to win MVP in 2025-26
