Lakers' Luka Experiment Can Thrive If Dončić Is Batman and LeBron Is Robin

Last week, the NBA world was rocked by the news that the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. Now comes the big question: How does Dončić fit with LeBron James?

It is not a traditional fit.

The pairing of James and Davis was more traditional: a ball handler and a big man. Now, the Lakers must figure out how to make it work with two ball-dominant players.

That said, it's a cleaner fit offensively than most realize. The NBA game now is about having multiple ball handlers who can probe and attack. The Lakers now have two of the best playmakers in the game.

However, it will only work if James is willing to stop being Batman and become Robin. That is what Dwyane Wade did when James joined him in Miami.

Both James and Dončić are used to being the primary ball handlers. Both have experience playing a high-level secondary playmaker. It has been proven that there is enough ball to go around, but someone has to take a lesser role.

The smart play would be for James to step back from the primary role and let Dončić take command of the Lakers' offense.

In fact, the shift began this season with the Lakers offense being more Davis-focused before the Dončić trade. Davis' usage rating jumped from 26.1 to 29.8. Not to mention that Austin Reaves' usage rate went up this season to 22.1. The Lakers have trusted Reaves this season to facilitate more offensive possessions in the halfcourt and/or in transition. Very slowly, the control of the offense has been drifting away from James.

The Lakers need to use Dončić as the primary ball handler and put James on the weak side to attack from the second side. If Reaves finds success collapsing defenses and creating driving lanes for James on the second side, wait until Dončić gets his chance.

The notion that defenses have to deal with Dončić in the first action of possession—meaning James then gets to attack rotating defenders on the second side—has several NBA coaches right now pulling all their hair out.

Taking the ball out of the hands of an all-time great like James is tough. It did not work out too well for the Lakers when they had Russell Westbrook. However, there is a difference between handing the ball to Westbrook versus giving it to Dončić.

Second-side actions are just one way the Lakers can use Dončić and James on offense. Another option is using James as the ball screener in a Dončić pick-and-roll. Most teams doubled Dončić in pick-and-rolls, leading to the Mavs bigs making plays off of short rolls.

Replace Lively II with James, and short-roll James will wreck defenses. Having one of the world's best playmakers get the ball in a four-on-three situation going downhill seems unfair. Doubling Dončić in the pick-and-roll with James as the screen-setter will be a losing proposition on most nights.

Should teams choose not to double Dončić off a James ball screen, good luck dealing with Dončić one-on-one. Very few teams are equipped to defend that.

The other advantage of using Dončić as the lead creator for the Lakers offense is that it will lessen James' wear-and-tear during games. Instead of carrying the team for the whole game, James can pick his spots, deciding when and how to attack. He can find more opportunities to spot-up, cut from the slot or baseline, and, more importantly, space the floor. Keeping the 40-year-old James fresher for the end of games will help Los Angeles close out games.

The biggest adjustment to Dončić being a Laker must come from James. Dončić is not only the future for the Lakers; he is the now. James must recognize that, and if he does, he will be able to add to his legacy.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar turned the Lakers over to Magic Johnson in the 80s; James now has to do the same by turning this team over to Dončić.

Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA.