Luka Doncic Gives Blunt Assessment of His Performance Amid Lakers' Struggles

Lakers are 3-7 over their past 10 games.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a basket against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Some of the incredible energy and excitement that surrounded the Los Angeles Lakers following Luka Doncic's quick integration into the mix has dissipated amid a losing stretch and the superstar knows exactly who is responsible for bringing it back.

Speaking after the Lakers fumbled away a winnable game against the Orlando Magic on Monday night, Doncic reflected on the 3-7 stretch Los Angeles is currently on and what needs to happen in order to turn things around.

"I think we just got a little bit satisfied," Doncic said. "We can't afford that right now."

"I think me and Bron, think we should be the guys to do that," Doncic said. "That's on me. Obviously, I've got to do better, I've got to talk more. I talked in the first half, then just kind of [let my] voice down and I shouldn't do that."

One of the more surprising developments as Doncic turned L.A. into one of the scariest teams in the NBA was the defensive improvement that continued during his acclimation. But that's slipped a bit during their recent cold stretch as the Bucks and Magic put up 118 points with an inexplicable 145-point Bulls explosion sandwiched in the middle over the past three games.

It's not exactly breaking news that Doncic would point to himself and James as the most important elements to get going and lead the way. But he's been recovering from an ankle injury and taking periodic time off while James is working back from a groin injury. This dynamic duo's ability to stay healthy, especially during a long playoff run, will ultimately determine their ceiling.

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