The Los Angeles Lakers weren't able to fully show what they were capable of in the NBA playoffs due to a hamstring injury to Luka Doncic. 

Doncic suffered the injury on April 2 after the Lakers stromed through the month of March, and was unable to play in any of the two playoff rounds that the Lakers were part of. 

LeBron James led the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round, and the team welcomed back Austin Reaves during the back half of the series. 

The second round was much tougher as the Lakers faced the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and were swept in four games. Without Doncic, the Lakers didn't have the offensive firepower to match the Thunder defense or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

A big part of the Lakers' success this season was not just Luka's performance on offense, but his commitment on defense, especially after the All-Star break. 

While it may have looked like Luka was waning on the defensive end for the first half of the season, there was a noticable renewed focus in the second half of the season. 

Prior to the All-Star break, Luka had a defensive rating of 117.4. After the break, that number dropped to 112.3. The team as a whole had a renewed buy in for the practices of JJ Redick, and it began with their All-Star. 

On 97.1 The Fan, Lakers legend Derek Fisher praised Luka's performance on both ends. 

"It was another level of basketball he was playing, not just scoring but his defense improved," said Fisher. 

Fisher said Luka is good enough to lead the Lakers to a championship, praising Luka's ability to make his teammates better with his passing and how he reads the game. 

"He's the type of player you can win with in terms of winning a championship. He elevates his teammates," said Fisher, comparing him to the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and how they elevated teammates to get to their level. 

Doncic led the NBA in scoring, averaging 33.5 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and 36% from three. He added in 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists. 

He was named to first-team All-NBA and finished fourth in the MVP voting. 

In March, the Lakers went 14-2 with Doncic in the lineup as he averaged 37.5 points, eight rebounds, and 7.4 assists while shooting 49% from the field and 39% from three.