Seeing as he faced them in the playoffs last year, the Los Angeles Lakers plan to rely on Luka Doncic's experiences in playing the Timberwolves, this year's Round 1 opponent, after the superstar defeated Minnesota as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka Dončić was "stung" by reports that the Dallas Mavericks had questioned his work ethic before trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dan Woike reported for the Los Angeles Times. "They have no idea," Dončić told Woike. "… I didn’t end up here by mistake. You know? I worked my ass off to be here.

In 22 games with the Lakers, Doncic is averaging 27.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 41.5% from the field. He's helped Los Angeles make a move up the Western Conference standings, as their 46-29 is currently good for the No. 4 seed in the West.