东契奇坦言对湖人季后赛不敌雷霆感到“失望”

Last season, the Lakers were considered underdogs in the Western Conference. Even with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James, they lacked the same depth and firepower as elite contenders like the Thunder, Spurs, and Timberwolves. Even so, Luka Doncic always had big expectations for his team, and their confidence was strong going into the playoffs.

What Luka didn’t expect was that he would be sidelined for everything that followed. As he rushed to return from a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the Lakers fought on without him until they were finally overwhelmed by the then-defending champions. For Luka, the loss still haunts him today, especially knowing the potential they had as a unit.

“My thought was just to get fully healthy,” said Doncic, via Dave McMenamin. “I had the whole summer for that, and I feel great. I thought we had a team that could compete for a championship, so it was kind of disappointing, kind of let the team down, so it’s definitely motivating for this season.”

The Lakers may not have been the favorites in the West last season, but they certainly had enough to pull off some major upsets. Despite injuries to various players all season, the Lakers still finished fourth in the standings at 53-29. Besides the “big three,” they relied on key contributions from role players like Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard. That’s not to mention head coach JJ Redick, who is still relatively inexperienced in the role.

Altogether, it was a relatively modest team on paper, but they proved themselves as legit in the first round, beating the Rockets at full strength sans Luka and Reaves (for half the series). It makes you wonder how far they could have gone if Luka had managed to return at some point during the Semifinals. While they were 0-4 against the Thunder in the regular season, there’s a chance they might have found success if they were fully healthy. With averages of 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 47.6% shooting, Luka’s mere presence could have flipped the series, giving them a fighter’s chance. Instead, they could do nothing but watch as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took over the series, ending all hopes of a comeback.

It was an unfortunate ending to what was otherwise a hopeful season, but it’s still good for one thing: providing motivation for the new campaign. Once again, the Lakers are coming in as the underdogs to win the West, but Doncic has never been more committed to proving everyone wrong. This season, he’s carrying a massive chip on his shoulder that could reap major rewards for both him and the Lakers.

So while Doncic could have tried to force his return last May, he opted for the cautious approach to protect his long-term health. It wasn’t an easy call to make, but it has already paid off so far by helping expedite his recovery and ensure a strong and healthy start to this new season. Only time will tell how far the Lakers can go, but the odds are in their favor for a competitive future.