Jeff Teague says Luka Doncic had to ‘dumb down his abilities’ with LeBron James

Luka Doncic’s fast start has Jeff Teague questioning how much sharing the Lakers with LeBron James limited his game.

The former All-Star believes Doncic is benefiting from a roster that can fully adapt to him, rather than having two established stars adjust to each other.

“He had to dumb down his abilities a lil bit with LeBron, you know?” Teague said in a clip shared by NBA Courtside, via Ricardo Sandoval of Lakers On SI. “He was still phenomenal but, you know, LeBron is LeBron he still holds a certain standard. Like these dudes right here, they going to fall in line.”

That’s a pretty strong way to describe a partnership that still produced plenty of wins. But Teague’s larger point is about whose game determines how the Lakers play.

With James now on the Sixers, there’s little question about that. The Lakers have built around Doncic, and their 10-2 start has given them reason to like the results.

It’s also worth remembering that considerably more changed than James’ address. The Lakers reshaped the roster, so attributing their improvement entirely to his departure would overlook the players they brought in.

Doncic can benefit from having a team tailored to him without that proving James was the problem.

Meanwhile, James has helped Philadelphia get off to a 9-2 start, with Tyrese Maxey crediting his willingness to pass for setting the tone. Both teams have found something that’s working early.

Teague sees Doncic’s expanded freedom as a major difference. Whether it produces a better playoff outcome for the Lakers will tell us considerably more than a strong November.

More Lakers: Lakers trade possibilities include two familiar faces for Luka Doncic