Luka Donċić Is Set to Punish the Mavericks Tuesday Night

No star is perfect. All are vulnerable to some form of criticism. For Luka Donċić, it's his conditioning and his defense, both of which have frequently been called into question over the course of his already stellar career. But while those two potential shortcomings are now a problem for the Lakers to deal with, they likely won't help the Mavericks Tuesday night at the Crypt. Because one thing everyone agrees on? Luka is a very, very competitive man, and ain't above holding a grudge. He will be ready to punish Dallas and GM Nico Harrison not only for the shocking trade that sent him to LA, but for badmouthing him on the way out of town, too. But this game is about more than just Luka's revenge—though make no mistake, everyone has their popcorn ready. Tuesday against the Mavs is a chance to validate the results of Saturday's huge win in Denver. If the Lakers come out and once again, Luka, LeBron James and Austin Reaves all look like they not only can co-exist, but thrive sharing a court? If the Lakers, facing a seriously depleted Mavs squad, can once again hold an opponent around 100 points? That'll do a tremendous amount to show what we saw over the weekend is the direction the team is going, as opposed to a blip. It will send the signal that the Lakers really should be considered in the top tier of Western Conference teams, a group currently led by Oklahoma City and then Memphis and Denver. It will help internally for a Lakers team that rightly feels good about itself, but also understands that time is not necessarily on their side. The amount of synergy they have to create in a few short weeks is a challenge, given how many more reps the opposition has been able to pile up all season. LA doesn't have a lot of time to reach its ceiling, so the confidence that comes with coming through in "prove it" games can't be discounted. This is a mental exercise for the Lakers as much as physical. It's not surprising to see James talk about execution this week. But where before it was framed more as a threat—the Lakers have to execute because they have no margin for error—now it's an opportunity. James was essentially saying that this team has the intellectual capacity to design and execute a game plan even without having a ton of time together. Their IQ is a strength that will help them jump the line. So that's a lot to think about on Tuesday night, and nobody will blink if you'd rather just pop some corn and see if Luka can drop a 50 spot on his former employers. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Luka is ready for his revenge. SEGMENT 2: LeBron talks about execution. SEGMENT 3: NO MORE CITY CONNECT JERSEYS! Your favorite podcast now has a newsletter! In One-stop for ultimate team and league coverage delivered right to your in box. Sign up for free now, at lockedondaily.com . Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Robinhood With Robinhood Gold, you can now enjoy the VIP treatment. The new Gold Standard is here with Robinhood Gold. To receive 3% boost on annual IRA contributions, sign up at robinhood.com/gold . Door Dash They Swoosh, You Save: when any player scores 50 or more points in a game during the 24/25 NBA regular season, DashPass members save 50% on an order, up to $10 off with promo code NBA50 . 50% Off 1 Order (Up to $10 Off) Offer valid from 9:00 AM PT through 11:59 PM PT after a 50 point performance in any game during the NBA season on orders placed at participating merchant locations. Valid only in the United States. Maximum value of discount is $10.00. Discount applies to subtotal only; does not apply to fees, taxes, and gratuity. Not valid for pickup. Limit one per person. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Fees, taxes, and gratuity still apply. Must have an active DashPass account. Use promo code NBA50 to redeem. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/ . FanDuel Right now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER : 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.