Redick places Luka Doncic in elite company, comparing his vision to NBA legends.
The Los Angeles Lakers destroyed the Washington Wizards on Friday night with a 142-111 blowout victory, and Luka Doncic put on one of the most impressive performances of his season.
The star guard accomplished something rare by recording a triple-double before halftime, and his passing ability left head coach JJ Redick searching for words after the game.
Redick Puts Doncic in Elite Company
Doncic finished the night with 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds while shooting 13-of-21 from the field, and he had the fans in Washington gasping at some of his no-look and lob passes throughout the contest.
After the game, Redick tried to explain just how special Doncic's court vision really is.
"It's hard to describe because most of us can't fathom being that good," Redick said. "Some of the passes that, you know, there's really like five guys that can make some of those passes because he has the size and the anticipation… Harden, Jokic, LeBron, and now Luka."
The comparison puts Doncic alongside some of the greatest playmakers in NBA history, and his performance against the Wizards showed exactly why.
He reached the triple-double mark with 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds before halftime, joining Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook as the only players since 1997-98 with multiple first-half triple-doubles.
Doncic Leads Lakers to Dominant Win
The 26-year-old star showed no signs of the left ankle soreness that had him listed as questionable before the game, as he dazzled with lob passes to Jaxson Hayes and banked in a three-pointer for the Lakers' final score of the second quarter.
Doncic is now averaging 33.7 points, 8.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game this season, which keeps him among the league leaders in all three categories.
The victory improved the Lakers to 29-18 on the season, and they have now won five of their last seven games after bouncing back from a 30-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
LeBron James contributed 20 points and six assists while still looking explosive at 41 years old, throwing down lobs for dunks that had the fans inside Capital One Arena on their feet.
The partnership between James and Doncic has been building throughout the season, and Redick has spoken about the real synergy happening between the duo in recent weeks.
Deandre Ayton also played a huge role with 28 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Lakers Face Tough Test Against Knicks
The focus now shifts to Sunday's matchup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks enter the game at 30-18 and have won five straight games following a rough 2-9 skid that began on December 31.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been dominant for New York with back-to-back 20-rebound performances, and Jalen Brunson continues to lead the team in scoring.
Austin Reaves remains sidelined with a right calf strain, but Redick mentioned he might return soon.
In the meantime, Los Angeles will continue to lean on Doncic and James as they look to find the right dynamic moving forward.
For now, the Lakers are riding the wave of Doncic's brilliance and enjoying performances that are difficult to put into words, even for a head coach who played 15 years in the league and saw countless elite players up close.