Jazz Vs. Lakers Preview: New Era Begins With Debut Of Luka Doncic
Yesterday at 04:57 PM
Very rarely is a Monday night game in February the week before the All-Star break considered a must-watch. But the Los Angeles Lakers’ matchup against the Utah Jazz falls into that category, as L.A. witnesses the debut of 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic in purple and gold.
Doncic became a Laker in the week leading up to the NBA trade deadline, when general managers Rob Pelinka and Nico Harrison privately agreed to a deal that sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. The deal sent shockwaves throughout the NBA and the Lakers saw the birth of their next era.
That era begins on Monday night when Doncic takes the court for the very first time as a Laker. He has been out since Christmas Day with a calf strain — the same injury that has plagued him throughout his career — but he believes it is fully healed for the first time.
And he’ll have the chance to show that while sharing the court with LeBron James, who is also expected to return to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. Doncic is arguably the greatest teammate James has ever had, especially when considering that he is 25 years old and yet to enter his prime years.
Also back on the court for the Lakers is Dalton Knecht, who was originally traded to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams in a deal that was rescinded. The rookie is now back in L.A. and surely will be looking to make a statement the rest of the year.
It will be fascinating to see how head coach JJ Redick deploys Doncic in his first game as a Laker. It is widely expected that LeBron and Austin Reaves will relinquish a portion of ball-handling responsibilities and revert to off-ball roles when sharing the floor with Luka.
The Lakers have been playing extremely well in recent weeks though, so how they integrate Doncic will be important as they would like to keep it rolling. The Jazz are a nice landing spot for his debut as they have lost 11 of their last 13 and are without Collin Sexton due to injury.
Still now, all eyes are on the Lakers on Monday as they debut their new superstar and new 1-2 punch. With a win, the Lakers can extend their current streak to six games and move to 10-1 in their last 11 and 12-2 in their last 14.
Los Angeles Lakers (31-19) vs. Utah Jazz (12-39)
Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, 7:30 p.m. PT
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Luka Doncic
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Rui Hachimura
PF: LeBron James
C: Jaxson Hayes
Key Reserves: Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, Christian Koloko
Projected Jazz Starting Lineup:
PG: Isaiah Collier
SG: Jordan Clarkson
SF: Lauri Markkanen
PF: John Collins
C: Walker Kessler
Key Reserves: Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, Johnny Juzang
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