Luka Doncic is still easing his way into the Los Angeles Lakers (32-20) after being dealt from the Dallas Mavericks a few days before the NBA trade deadline. Not only is the star guard getting accustomed to a new team and city, he is still shaking off some injury rust.

Doncic missed more than a month and a half of action with a left calf strain before debuting with LA on Feb. 10. He averaged just 23.5 minutes in his first two games back from injury. The transition period is however.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick does not expect the five-time All-NBA First-Teamer to have a minutes restriction moving forward, per Mark Medina. Considering indicated that Doncic would remain limited for the time being, this response is somewhat surprising.

Lakers will lean on Luka Doncic in the latter half of the season

Following the NBA All-Star break, which officially ends for LA when it faces the Charlotte Hornets (13-39) on Wednesday, Doncic will presumably carry a bigger share of the offensive responsibilities. He flashed his immense talents against the Utah Jazz but will now have the opportunity to dominate his opponent in Crypto.com Arena.

With the massive  the Lakers have outlined their  Assuming the 25-year-old Slovenian eventually signs a contract extension, as is anticipated, he will serve as the franchise cornerstone for the next several years. LeBron James can leave the team knowing his successor is already on the roster. But Los Angeles is also focused on the present.

The Lakers won six straight games before losing to Utah before the All-Star break. They currently occupy the fifth slot in the Western Conference and are only three games behind the second-place Memphis Grizzlies. Potential defensive deficiencies and a lack of size could create problems for the rest of the campaign, but Luka Doncic has the power to neutralize the squad’s issues with elite play.

He is averaging 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.9 steals through 24 games this season. Apparently, Redick will remove his training wheels versus the Hornets. LA might witness its first Doncic takeover on Wednesday, starting at 10 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman did it all with the Houston Astros, winning two World Series titles as teammates. But for the first time since 2016, Altuve and Bregman will be entering the year on opposite sides of the diamond. Bregman decided to join the Boston Red Sox on a three-year, $120 million contract. Altuve understands how big of a loss the third baseman will be in the batter’s box and clubhouse. But he also knows that this league is a business. Ultimately, Altuve thinks Bregman got a contract fitting of the player he is, via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. “We lost a big player, obviously,” Altuve said. “But we’ve got to focus on the guys that we have here. He’s obviously one of the best that ever played in Houston. We’re all going to remember him and going to miss him. But we’re also happy for him. He signed a great deal, man — $40 million, not a lot of players can get to that, and he got it. “So I’m happy for him,” Altuve continued. “We’ve got to move on and focus on the players we have, keep moving. We have great talent here, great players. We’re definitely going to do everything to win. And we’ll see Alex down the road when we play Boston. Altuve was already five years into his Astros tenure before Bregman arrived. Since 2016, he has seen the third baseman hit .272 with 191 home runs and 663 RBI, earning two All-Star nominations. Altuve and Bregman ultimately helped raise the bar in Houston and helped put the Astros on the map. Alex Bregman’s departure will now completely reshape the Astros. But they came prepared. Their earlier trade of Kyle Tucker landed Houston Isaac Paredes, who is set to take over at third. Even Jose Altuve himself has been willing to be flexible in his position to help Houston succeed. The second baseman is confident the Astros will continue to succeed. And while Altuve admires the deal Bregman got, he knows 2025 will be much different in Houston.

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