The two most significant trades this year were undoubtedly the ones that brought Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Upon joining their new teams, both players quickly found chemistry with their respective stars, LeBron James and Stephen Curry. NBA icon Paul Pierce reflected on this dynamic.
“Golden State right now… I saw something. I saw an element that they actually needed. Jimmy is a shot in the arm. Steph is like, ‘Oh, this is an opportunity,’” Pierce said during an appearance on the Ticket and the Truth podcast.
His co-host, Kevin Garnett, immediately agreed, bringing the Lakers into the conversation. “He wasn’t playing like this P. He didn’t have this energy. We talk about Luka giving LeBron a jolt. He got the biggest jolt now. Him and Bron are going, bro.” Continuing that thought, Pierce added: “Him and Bron got the new energy from the trades.”
Paul then elaborated on Butler‘s impact with the Warriors. “I saw the element Jimmy brings though, it was like all you got to do was keep the game close,” he explained. “I’m looking at Jimmy like, ‘He is bringing a physicality to the game on both ends of the floor to where if Steph can keep the game close, Jimmy can actually will us to the end.’” He continued the comparison with Los Angeles: “That’s the same with Bron and Luka.”
Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
On the Lakers, Pierce was equally complimentary. “They’re going to be so difficult to play against because you’ve got two guys (James and Doncic) who are built for playoff basketball,” he said. “The IQ for the Lakers just went so far up when you added Luka.”
see also
LeBron James has taken over Anthony Davis’ role since Doncic joined the Lakers, says Carmelo Anthony
The Warriors with Jimmy Butler
Since the arrival of Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors have significantly improved their performance. The team now looks revitalized and has turned what seemed like a lost season into a new opportunity to contend for the title. From fighting to stay in Play-In spots, Steve Kerr‘s squad is now in sixth place.
With Butler on the court, the Warriors have played 11 games this year, winning 10 of them and losing just once, against the Dallas Mavericks in February. The small forward has averaged 31 minutes per game, contributing 17.1 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds.
The Lakers with Luka Doncic
Much like the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers have seen an uptick in their performance since Luka Doncic joined the team. In fact, the Lakers capitalized on a strong winning streak to move up the standings, settling in second place in the Western Conference, just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Luka has played NBA 10 games with the Lakers, posting an impressive 8-2 record. Over those games, the Slovenian guard has averaged 33.1 minutes, 28.3 points, 8.1 assists, and 8.1 rebounds.
