The Lakers made their biggest splash this decade during the 2024-25 season: Luka Doncic in Purple and Gold. The franchise centerpiece has been secured for the next three years, a move that finally pushed the LeBron-era Lakers into something resembling a new identity. But the question now is whether they know how to build around him.
On the other side of the world, an old teammate just handed out the cheat sheet. Slovenian guard Klemen Prepelič, speaking candidly about his national team, drew up the recipe that makes Doncic unstoppable. The instructions weren’t vague either; they were brutally specific, a blueprint forged from years of watching Luka dominate.
“To be honest with Luka, you need one athletic big,” Prepelic said. “You need a stretch four. You have [Vlatko] Cancar, which is a great four, and then you need 2–3 who can shoot, create, and be aggressive defensively.” His words carried weight because he’s lived it. Luka’s best moments internationally came surrounded by exactly those kinds of players.
The formula works. When Slovenia rolled, it wasn’t just Luka’s brilliance, but the way the lineup opened space, let him orchestrate, and attacked with balance. Prepelic is not theorizing. He points to a pattern repeating itself, from EuroBasket highs to NBA stretches where Luka’s supporting cast clicks.
(Developing story …)
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