Last season, with the Dallas Mavericks down by two points in the fourth quarter of a December matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic called his own number near the top of the key.
He had Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes on an island before pounding a couple of dribbles to his left and pulling up as if he were going to take a short jumper. Hayes left his feet briefly before challenging what he thought would be a 7-foot jumper.
The problem was Hayes couldn't see what Doncic was doing next, because the floor general had taken the ball and held it behind Hayes' head before whipping a dime with his left hand to a wide-open Dante Exum, who was spotting up at the arc and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Mavs the lead. The pass looked like something out of a Harlem Globetrotters promo, and it stunned both the Dallas crowd and the announcers.
"What a pass!" TNT's Kevin Harlan said as it happened.
"How did he get that pass between all those defenders?" analyst Reggie Miller asked.
It was the sort of magic that the Lakers, fresh off acquiring the 25-year-old Doncic late Saturday night, are hoping to benefit from -- now and in the future -- with him wearing purple and gold.
Once he can return from the calf injury that has sidelined him since late December, those moments will assuredly come for L.A., both from Doncic and his new superstar teammate LeBron James. But making a deep playoff run could hinge on how the Lakers, who increased their cushion for the fifth seed after Tuesday's rout of the LA Clippers, address this roster's key issues -- either on the court or before Thursday's trade deadline.
Here, we break down the distinct ways Doncic figures to bolster, and possibly complicate, things for the Lakers as they navigate this new chapter.