Luka Calls Out His 'Rustiness' in Lakers' Loss to Hornets; LeBron Defends Teammate

Luka Dončić admitted after the Los Angeles Lakers' 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday he's still shaking off the rust after missing six weeks due to a strained calf injury.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Dončić attributed "rustiness" to his finishing 5-of-18 shooting from the field against the Hornets.

"Obviously, it's going to take a little time," Doncic said. "Today, a lot of rustiness for my part. Started the game with like four or five turnovers. That can't happen. So just got to play basketball the right way."

LeBron James was quick to defend his new teammate, telling reporters that Dončić is still learning the offense and getting acclimated to his surroundings:

"He still doesn't know all the plays. He doesn't know all the defensive coverages, all the signals and things that we've built since September. So obviously we're trying to fast-track it on the fly. He's coming back from his injury. He's getting back into form. So we're all working through it together."

Dončić did have his first double-double as a member of the Lakers, putting up 14 points and 11 rebounds in 33 minutes. He also had eight assists, but six turnovers along with it.

This was just the third game Dončić has played since Christmas Day. He's looked like a player who is still figuring things out. The five-time All-Star is averaging 14.7 points on 35.6 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists with the Lakers.

Wednesday night marked the first time the Lakers didn't have any minutes restrictions on Dončić. The fact he was able to play 33 minutes without any apparent issue is a positive sign.

Eventually, Dončić will start to figure things out playing next to James. This is the first time he's really had to share ball-handling duties with a player in his NBA career.

If the biggest problem for the Lakers the rest of this season is Dončić trying to get comfortable, they will be in a much better position than many of the teams they are competing with in the Western Conference playoff race.