As the shot clock dwindled below one second, a step-back jumper by Luka Doncic, audacious even for him, soared over Jaden McDaniels` outstretched arms. The ball found nothing but net, giving the Los Angeles Lakers a one-point lead with 6:30 left in the fourth quarter of Game 5. “Lu-ka! Lu-ka!” the crowd roared, as Doncic, smirking despite a tweaked back from an earlier collision, embodied his signature blend of willpower and skill.
In that fleeting moment, Doncic was the bold playmaker, the Lakers were the team fighting to prove their worth, and Laker Nation briefly recaptured the boundless optimism they felt months earlier when news of Doncic`s shocking trade first broke. However, this proved to be the final highlight of the Lakers` 2024-25 season.
That shot was Doncic`s last make, and the lead was L.A.`s last as Minnesota closed the game on a decisive 16-8 run. The Lakers missed nine of their final 12 attempts, with Doncic missing his last two.
The rapid collapse mirrored the trajectory of the Lakers` season, and indeed, Doncic`s personal journey. Few could relate more to a sudden, drastic change in circumstances.
His move from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers three months prior brought about countless, all-encompassing changes. The 26-year-old, a first-team All-NBA selection for five consecutive seasons, transitioned from being a franchise cornerstone and potential Hall-of-Famer destined for one team, to joining a squad built around LeBron James, steeped in its own history of legendary stars.
It was a season defined by immense change, conflicting narratives, and an attempt at reinvention.
Not everything was unfamiliar. Doncic maintained his Dallas pregame ritual in Los Angeles: after his spot shooting, he attempts three half-court shots. If he makes one, several Lakers assistant coaches do pushups. If he misses all three, he owes body-weight squats or pushups at center court. This small routine provided comfort amidst the upheaval and signaled his commitment to extra conditioning, especially after joining the team with a strained left calf that sidelined him for over five weeks.
His game-day starts early, with bodywork, shooting, weightlifting, and a cold tub plunge. Maintaining this routine was a sign, according to one team source, that Doncic understood the urgency of returning to peak form to help his new team reach its potential.
The theoretical potential of the team far exceeded their actual performance. The season concluded with a disappointing five-game first-round loss to a Minnesota team that was clearly bigger, deeper, and younger. The Lakers were consistently outplayed.
Their season felt like a race against time on multiple fronts: Doncic rushing his recovery and integration, first-year coach JJ Redick accelerating his learning, general manager Rob Pelinka attempting to reshape the roster around Doncic, and LeBron James, remarkably still delivering at a high level after turning 40.
Ultimately, time ran out. Time ran out for chemistry to fully develop. Time ran out to acquire a true center who could complement Doncic and protect the paint. And time is clearly running out on LeBron James` career.
“I don`t know,” James said after Game 5, when asked how much longer he plans to play. “I don`t have the answer to that.”
Despite entering the series as favorites, the Lakers now head into the offseason much earlier than anticipated, facing significant questions and uncertainty.
Series Dynamics and Frontcourt Struggles
The Lakers` postseason motto, “Unleash Joy,” intended to evoke Doncic`s spirited demeanor in those half-court shootouts. The team even promoted it for their “2025 playoff run.” That run lasted just 12 days. L.A. dropped Game 1 at home by 22 points, bounced back in Game 2, but then lost two straight in Minneapolis, getting outscored by a combined 20 points in the final five minutes of Games 3 and 4.
The Lakers` most obvious weakness was their lack of size up front. Days after the Doncic trade, the Lakers attempted a deal for 7-footer Mark Williams from Charlotte, a promising but injury-prone young center. Sources indicated Williams was Doncic`s preferred target for a lob threat, given his success with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas. The deal was agreed upon just before the trade deadline. However, Williams failed the Lakers` physical examination, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed, and the trade was rescinded, sending Williams back to Charlotte and draft assets back to L.A.
With the deadline passed, Pelinka couldn`t execute another trade with the same assets. The team then signed 7-footer Alex Len off waivers. Len, sources said, was initially set to sign with the Pacers but was persuaded by the opportunity to play alongside James, Doncic, and the Lakers. Despite joining the team, Len rarely played, appearing in only 10 of 31 games after signing. Meanwhile, Williams played 21 games for Charlotte late in the season, averaging nearly 15 points on good shooting efficiency.
Coach Redick started Jaxson Hayes for the first four minutes of Game 4 but then benched him for the remainder of the series. Minnesota`s depth, already a strength amplified by adding players like Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo before the season, became even more pronounced as the series wore on and Redick shortened his rotation.
Redick inserted Dorian Finney-Smith into the starting lineup and controversially played those five players for the entire second half in Game 4. This strategy was widely criticized and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, unprecedented in a playoff game since substitution data began being tracked in 1997. It was a high-stakes gamble that didn`t pay off.
Before Game 5, Redick doubled down when asked if he had consulted his assistants about playing Doncic (recovering from a stomach virus) and James (dealing with hip and groin issues) for 24 consecutive minutes. “Are you saying that because I`m inexperienced, and that was an inexperienced decision that I made?” Redick retorted. “Do you think I don`t talk to my assistants about substitutions every single timeout? That`s a weird assumption.” He then left the news conference.
After the season-ending loss, emotions raw, Redick acknowledged his need for coaching improvement. “I know I can be better,” he stated. “I know I will get better… there`s always ways to get better and I can get a lot better.”
Following Game 1, Minnesota`s Jaden McDaniels highlighted the Lakers` lack of size. “I just noticed at certain times when they had no rim protector in the game,” he said. “If he`s not on the court, I`m basically the tallest person out there. So I don`t think no one could rim protect me.” McDaniels scored a team-high 25 points in that game.
In Game 5, the Lakers were significantly outrebounded 54-37, including a dominant 18-8 disadvantage on the offensive glass. “We couldn`t get rebounds,” Lakers forward Rui Hachimura conceded. “We need someone to get rebounds.” Rudy Gobert, standing 7-1, grabbed nine offensive boards and 24 total rebounds, scoring 27 points. “Gobert looked like Shaq,” a team source commented after the game.
When asked after the loss if playing without a true center for the final three months impacted the series, James offered a wry response. “No comment,” he said with a smirk. “I`d never say that. Because my guy AD said it, what he needed, and he was gone the following week.”
Learning and Looking Ahead
The season did feature promising stretches, like an eight-game winning streak in late February against tough opponents including Denver, Minnesota, New York, and two wins against the Clippers. However, these were offset by puzzling losses, such as blowouts in Brooklyn and two defeats against the Chicago Bulls in six days. The second Bulls loss, decided by a Josh Giddey buzzer-beater from distance, foreshadowed the late-game issues that plagued the Lakers.
After leading by 16 entering the fourth quarter against Chicago, the Lakers faded. Up five with 12 seconds left, they allowed an open three, committed a turnover on the ensuing inbounds, and then gave up the game-winning shot. Following a late-season road win, James acknowledged the team was still a work in progress. “We`re just trying to rack up great habits,” he said. “It`s about habits. We`re just trying to build our habits right now, going into the final stretch of the season.”
Habits require repetition and trial and error. “It was like speed dating,” one team source observed. “Even if it`s going well, it`s not like your pick-up lines are going to work on every partner. There`s only so much time to put in work.”
Despite the disappointing finish, the Lakers can find reasons for optimism. In James` first season in L.A., they missed the playoffs, but won a title the next year after adding Anthony Davis. In Doncic`s first season with Kyrie Irving in Dallas, the Mavericks missed the playoffs, but reached the Finals the following year after roster adjustments.
A source close to Doncic noted that he beat Minnesota the previous season with a Mavericks team “built around him,” whereas in L.A., “Luka inherited these players and these players inherited Luka.” The Lakers were attempting to reframe their offensive and defensive systems, already new under Redick, to cater to Doncic`s strengths while mitigating his weaknesses.
Unlike Dallas, the Lakers seem eager to unlock Doncic`s full potential. “It`s incredibly exciting to have the promise of him in our next decade of Laker basketball with being able to build a team around him and him being at the center of our franchise,” Pelinka stated during his end-of-season news conference.
After the early exit, Doncic will finally have a chance to decompress. A source close to him described this season as “the most unexpected year of Luka`s life.” He is expected to spend the summer competing for the Slovenian national team at EuroBasket, accompanied by members of his personal conditioning team.
Coach Redick, joining Pelinka for the news conference, outlined offseason expectations, delivering a message seemingly aimed at Doncic: “We have to get in championship shape.”
On August 2nd, the Lakers can offer Doncic a substantial contract extension. Sources close to Doncic indicate he will take his time with the decision, although he previously expressed a desire to stay in Los Angeles. While publicly and privately affected by the trade from Dallas, where he once envisioned retiring, there is a silver lining.
“For Luka,” a source close to him shared, “he`s kind of like, `I`m wanted here.`”
Sources noted that James made a conscious effort to empower Doncic since his arrival and will not attempt to influence his contract decision. “No, that ain`t my job,” James told the media. “I think… I don`t think, I know, Luka knows how I feel about him. And ultimately, that trade happened for the future. That`s not for me. Luka has to decide what he has to do with his future. He`s [26] years old, I`m 40, so he can`t be basing his career off me. That`s just real. But I hope, obviously, [he stays long term]. Laker fans f—ing love him here. L.A. has accepted him. We love him as a teammate, as a brother. But ultimately, he`s got to make a decision for him. S—, I ain`t going to be around much longer.”
The Lakers organization has clearly signaled their long-term commitment to Doncic. “I think Luka Doncic joining forces with the Los Angeles Lakers is a seismic event in NBA history,” Pelinka had said at his introductory news conference.
Leading up to that key date in August, the team faces the task of demonstrating its vision and convincing Doncic that this year`s first-round loss was merely a difficult beginning to what they hope will be a long and successful partnership.