The Los Angeles Lakers have officially entered the NBA Finals conversation, but not just because of Luka Doncic. While the blockbuster trade for the superstar guard was a massive m

Doncic, who had dragged an otherwise unremarkable Mavericks team through the Western Conference, became the face of their failure. Dallas coach Jason Kidd was forced to come out and defend his maligned star, even though without Doncic, the Mavericks were a faded Kyrie Irving and a bunch of role players.

It has already been a wild, weird, wonderful week in L.A., and Luka Doncic hasn’t even played a game for the Lakers yet. He spent Tuesday night at the end of their bench, wearing a black Lakers sweatsuit,