The Whiteboard: Assessing the Luka Doncic-LeBron James fit now that the dust settled

It's official: Luka Doncic has been introduced as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Yet, it still feels surreal, even following his first press conference since possibly the most stunning trade in the NBA's illustrious near-80-year history.

Virtually everyone went through the same internal thought process when ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news:

1. Was Charania hacked?
2. How could the Mavericks do this?
3. What does Dallas know that we don't?

But after a second post from Charania confirmed Doncic was legitimately headed from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers, chaos ensued. The fallout of the seismic, league-altering move sent shockwaves across the Association and continues to be felt. Nonetheless, now that things have (somewhat) calmed down, let's address the elephant in the room: How will the five-time All-NBA superstar fit alongside LeBron James?

Assessing the Luka Doncic-LeBron James fit in Los Angeles now that the dust has settled

As ball-dominant, positionless players with defensive woes, the idea of Doncic and James being a redundant, counterproductive duo has been floated around. Be that as it may, they're also two of the smartest and most dominant hoopers ever — which should offset any worries about "fit."

James has reportedly "dreamed of" joining forces with Doncic, demonstrated by the former selecting the latter in four straight All-Star Game drafts from 2020-23. Suddenly, that fantasy becomes a reality — and the timing couldn't be better.

The Lakers have shown us they want James off-ball more. They've done it with Austin Reaves, who's settled into a makeshift point guard role. Now, first-year head coach JJ Redick has the ultimate upgrade at his disposal (Doncic).

Moreover, James' desire to function offensively without the ball more often has been well-documented for nearly a decade. It hasn't come to fruition, albeit not for a lack of effort. Los Angeles has whiffed on several co-lead facilitators/floor generals, but Doncic is on a supremely different level than anyone they've ever brought in.

A LeBron-Luka two-man game has the potential to be borderline unstoppable. Putting James in the short-roll allows him to read and react to how defenses try to stop the action. If opponents blitz and emphasize forcing the ball out of his hands, he'll happily find an open teammate on the perimeter. Alternatively, staying close to the shooters puts the 21-time All-Star in an advantageous scoring position, enabling him to attack with a head of steam.

Either way, you're at James' mercy. His 1.07 points per possession (PPP) off screens is good for the 66.9th percentile. However, he's only running these plays at a 2.6 percent frequency rate, a number that figures to increase with Doncic in the mix. The 40-year-old has also produced 1.08 PPP this season as the roll-man in pick-and-roll situations. Albeit slightly below league average, the ex-Mavericks icon will enhance the operation, especially compared to Reaves, Gabe Vincent and (previously) D'Angelo Russell.

Do you want to sell out to prevent James from getting the ball? Enjoy going one-on-one with arguably the best isolation scorer in the game, à la Doncic. Foes will have to choose the lesser of two evils, with both options presenting matchup nightmares.

Concerns of James and Doncic on the defensive end are legitimate, but that can be neutralized with a revamped supporting cast and a rekindled dog-eat-dog flame. They each boast the size, competitive drive and basketball IQ to rise to the occasion on that side of the floor in winning time. The latter impressively led the league in defensive win shares (1.5) last postseason during Dallas' march to the Finals.

From an off-court perspective, James is the perfect role model for Doncic. The King is the gold standard of longevity, consistency, durability and peak physical fitness. If anyone can teach the latter about proper self-care habits and what it does for their career, it's him.

Questions about how the Lakers build around Luka and LeBron will linger until Los Angeles' next move(s). But we shouldn't worry about whether the two superstars can co-exist. After all, 77 plus 23 equals 100, a digit representative of success or a completed goal, foreshadowing what's to come for the Lakers.

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NBA news roundup:

• The Athletic ($) notes that the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards have "explored a potential deal" centered around a Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma swap. Whether the two sides reach an agreement remains to be seen, though it's a noteworthy development worth monitoring.
• Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer ($) recently pondered whether the Philadelphia 76ers should wave the white flag on the vastly disappointing Paul George experience. If so, the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors have "expressed interest in acquiring" him.
• Following a 125-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone declared the team won't trade standout wing Michael Porter Jr.

Portland is trailblazing

Don't look now, but the Portland Trail Blazers have won eight of their last nine games. Head coach Chauncey Billups has this group playing shockingly high-level basketball, and it's been remarkable to see.

During this stretch, Portland ranks second and ninth in defensive and offensive rating (106.2 and 117.8, respectively). Moreover, their 11.7 overall net rating trails only the Cleveland Cavaliers, slightly ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blazers have done an excellent job of containing offenses, specifically from beyond the arc, limiting them to a league-low 9.8 three-pointers made per contest.

The Blazers have secured victories over the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns (twice), also taking down the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. None are top-tier title contenders, but they're all playoff-hopeful clubs. Portland's lone loss throughout this hot streak has come at the hands of the Thunder, which can be excused, considering OKC is a mash unit.

Portland has seen young studs like second-year guard Scoot Henderson and their starting wing tandem of Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara flourish lately. Meanwhile, veterans like Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons have been calming, steady presences for a team filled with youth and lacking experience.

Overall, the pieces are beginning to click into place for the Blazers. They're nearing the preseason expected win total (22.5) and we aren't even at the All-Star break, which Billups deserves immense credit for. Portland's improbable resurgence has them within striking distance of a play-in spot in the Western Conference, trailing the tenth-seeded Suns by 4.5 games.