Luka Doncic did not speak like a front-office executive in his Madrid interview. He still gave the Lakers a clear description of what should be around him.
"I think mainly shooters and a big man who can run the pick-and-roll and jump so I can pass to him," Doncic said when asked what players he needs. "If I have shooters, they won't double me as much and it helps me out."
That quote is the story for Los Angeles. Doncic is not asking for mystery pieces. He is describing the same structure that has always made his game breathe: shooting on the perimeter, enough spacing to punish doubles, and a big who can catch the ball above the defense.
He also made his priority clear when MVP came up. "Obviously, who wouldn't want MVP right? But I think winning a ring comes first and I'd like that more than MVP," Doncic said.
The interview also included a Jalen Brunson moment. Doncic called Brunson "a great guy" and said he has "a winner mentality that makes him different from other players." He said they talk all the time, spoke before Brunson's last game, and that he congratulated him after the title.
Doncic said games do not usually make him nervous, though his first Lakers game may have been a small exception. On the Finals against Boston, he said the Celtics had a fantastic team and that the series became both a learning experience and motivation to win.
Asked which legend he would want to play against, Doncic picked Michael Jordan. "Easy answer," he said.
That last part is lighter than the roster quote, but it rounds out the interview: Doncic was relaxed enough to talk legacy, old Finals lessons and even a possible Jordan meeting through golf.
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