"Very dangerous" - Luka Doncic doesn't hold back on Lakers' ceiling after blowout win in debut

Following his debut for the LA Lakers against the Utah Jazz at the Crypto.com Arena on Monday, Luka Doncic shared his thoughts on how "dangerous" the Lakers can be moving forward. During his on-court interview after the blowout home win, Doncic didn't hold back from expressing an upward trajectory for the Lakers.

"Very dangerous," Doncic said. "I think the ball was moving very well on the offensive and I think we can lock down a lot of players."

Monday's game concluded with a 132-113 win for the LA Lakers as Luka Doncic played over 23 minutes, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. The five-time NBA All-Star was a little rusty in the game, shooting 35.7% from the field including 14.3% from deep, as he returned to action after an almost six-week hiatus due to his calf injury.

The Lakers will likely increase Doncic's workload gradually as he gains more confidence in his calf and gets accustomed to his new team. Luka will play his next game with the Lakers on Wednesday as they hit the road to face the Utah Jazz for the second of their back-to-back matchups.

LeBron James had an explicit message for Luka Doncic ahead of Lakers debut

Ahead of the game's tipoff on Monday, LeBron James addressed Luka Doncic directly during the pregame huddle, making sure that the 25-year-old felt at ease ahead of his much-awaited LA Lakers debut. James told Doncic to be his authentic self and not worry about fitting in with the Lakers as he energized the team to dominate the game.

"Luka, be your f---ing self. Don't fit in, fit the f--- out," James said.

Apart from the Lakers front office and its players, Luka Doncic also received massive support from the fans in attendance for his debut. Most fans wore the shirt with his name and jersey, which were placed on their seats ahead of the game, and cheered for the star guard throughout.

"It was special man," Doncic said during the post-game interview. "I heard a lot of noise when I was introduced, so I really appreciate it. It was a special moment."

Ahead of his Lakers debut, Luka Doncic was averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.0 steals across the 22 games he played for the Dallas Mavericks this season. The Lakers hope to have Doncic back in his prime form soon, as they currently stand fourth in the West with a 32-19 record and look forward to having a deep run this season.