After a long and dramatic offseason, the NBA is back in action. The regular season is just a couple of weeks away, and the preseason is right here. Tonight, two heavyweights, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, are set to lock horns at the Chase Center. But now, half a decade of practice will take a back seat. For a long time, the attention and discussion have centered on LeBron James and Stephen Curry when the two teams meet, but now Luka is starting his first full season with the Lakers!

Yes, everyone is eager to know whether Luka Doncic will suit up tonight. The 26-year-old point guard has already missed Los Angeles’ first preseason game against Phoenix. Without him or LeBron James, the Purple & Gold looked lackluster and were blown out 103-81 by the Suns. Although preseason results don’t carry much weight, head coach JJ Redick would not want to accumulate several defeats before the regular season. So, will that prompt him to play Luka tonight?

Well, no. That’s because NBA insider Dave McMenamin has already confirmed that Doncic will miss tonight’s clash. “Luka Doncic is out tonight, per the Lakers. And will not play against the Warriors on Sunday either,” McMenamin reported. While that clears the air around the five-time All-Star guard’s availability, there’s a reason behind the move, and the senior journalist also had an explanation for that.

“LAL is being mindful of the long term with Doncic coming off EuroBasket,” McMenamin further added. The Lakers’ coaching staff and management are being cautious with Doncic. Of course, this has to do with the grueling summer Luka Doncic has had with Slovenia at the FIBA EuroBasket despite failing to go deep into the finals. Apart from this, the former Mavs star has also put a lot of effort into himself to shut critics.

He has undergone a stunning weight loss transformation this offseason. In fact, the point guard himself indicated missing some preseason games in his recent interaction with reporters. When asked about his approach toward the preseason, Doncic gave a not-so-surprising reply:

“Yeah, obviously, probably take it a little bit slower than the usual,” he said after the third day of the team’s training camp. “I had a busy summer. I think, a month and a half I was with the national team. So, it was kind of a lot. But that got me ready for the preseason and obviously the regular season. So, for me, I think it really helps.”

Well, while this might be disappointing news for the fans, who would’ve loved to see Luka Doncic face off against Stephen Curry and other Golden State superstars. But Doncic, inviting an injury or getting exhausted before even entering the regular season, is the last thing anyone would wish for. So, it’s only right that he sits out a few preseason games. More so, given that he’s coming off a phenomenal summer campaign with Slovenia at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

How well did Luka Doncic perform for Slovenia during the offseason?

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic entered the offseason with a lot of question marks surrounding him. Most of them were around his weight and conditioning after the storied franchise crashed out of the first round of the playoffs. The 26-year-old looked sluggish at times while on the defensive end, and coach JJ Redick made it clear that it was something he’ll have to change. So, Luka did just that as he underwent rigorous training throughout the offseason and lost around 31 lbs. While everyone could see the change in his appearance, it wasn’t until the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 that everyone saw how it improved Doncic’s game.

The Lakers guard lit up the competition with his staggering performances. In fact, he was without a doubt the best player in the entire tournament, despite ESPN placing him only after Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the most valuable player of the 2025 EuroBasket. The Slovenian, in return, waited to respond with his stats. Doncic led the scoring charts at the FIBA EuroBasket, averaging 34.7 points. However, that isn’t all.

The six-foot-seven floor general was also the second-best player on the assists chart as he averaged 7.1 assists per game, along with averaging 8.6 rebounds. While this stat line should be enough to impress the Lakers Nation, what’s more interesting is the fact that Luka Doncic looked much improved on the defensive end of the floor. This should add another layer of excitement amongst the Lakers faithful to see him in action, but they’ll have to wait just a bit longer for that.