JJ Redick reveals ‘balance’ Luka Doncic has to find offensively

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LOS ANGELES – With a little over two months of the regular season gone by, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is leading the NBA in scoring at 33.7 points per game. Whether it’s one of his patented step-back 3-point shots or a drive to the basket, Doncic is the head of the snake for the Lakers when it comes to the offense. Being able to find that balance in terms of his decision-making, is something that Lakers head coach JJ Redick believes he’s done a solid job so far.

Prior to the Lakers’ game against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, JJ Redick explained how Doncic is constantly trying to find that balance on offense, and having relative success in being able to do so.

“I think there’s a balance you have to find. We talk about him, Austin when he’s in the lineup and LeBron obviously, those guys are the main guys that can create paint touches for us off the dribble,” Redick said. “I think with Luka, he needs that step-back three to set up his drive. It’s all part of the balancing act that he has as an offensive threat.”

“And he’ll come to me sometimes and be like, ‘yeah I should have driven, I should have driven that,’” Redick continued. “He’s leading the league in scoring, I think he’s done a good job of finding that balance.”

Doncic led the way offensively for the Lakers during their win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process. He had a game-high 34 points while shooting 11-of-23 from the field, 5-of-14 from the 3-point line and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also added five rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one blocked shot.

At halftime of the Lakers’ game against the Pistons, Doncic had a game-high 22 points while shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. With Austin Reaves currently out, it’s up to Doncic and James to orchestrate the offense.

Overall, he’s appeared in 23 games this season at a little over 36 minutes per game. In addition to his points, he’s averaging 8.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 46.2 percent from the field. Doncic will have the ball in his hands most of the time for the Lakers, so his decision-making is crucial to the team’s success.

So far, the Lakers are 20-10 and in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. They are only two games back though of the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs who are 23-9. And with the NBA releasing the first round of results for All-Star voting, Doncic is the current lead vote-getter.

As he continues to build chemistry on-court with James, and ultimately Reaves, continuing to find that balance will be key.

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