Everyone knew this was coming.

When the Dallas Mavericks shocked the world and traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last February, everyone outside of Southern California feared for his revenge tour. The trade clearly became a wake-up call for Doncic and he reacted to it as positively as he could have. He went viral last July when Men’s Health released a feature on his offseason routine then signed a three-year extension with the Lakers. 

Doncic then put up a strong showing for Slovenia in FIBA EuroBasket 2025 where he led all players in scoring with 34.7 points per game across seven appearances. He has carried over this momentum to the NBA season as he has kicked off the new campaign with back-to-back 40-point showings for Los Angeles.

The 26-year-old superstar put up 43 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and a block in the Lakers’ opening night defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. He then followed this up with 49 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in an emphatic 128-110 win for Los Angeles against the team that eliminated them from last year’s postseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The win also marked Doncic’s 30th game as a Laker—and with it, he set an (admittedly arbitrary) franchise record for points in a player’s first 30 games.

Nothing much has changed about Doncic’s style of play over these past few months, but the impact of his trimmed down physique is undeniable. He is gliding across the floor with much more quickness and agility while his explosiveness looks like the best it has ever been in his NBA career.

The increased commitment to his physical health, undeniably fueled by Dallas general manager Nico Harrison’s insinuations, has manifested in these subtle improvements in Doncic’s on-court performance. When all of these slight changes are summed together, they represent a major improvement for a player who was already considered one of the best in the world.

What’s even more encouraging about the Lakers’ win over the Timberwolves is that Doncic’s teammates gave him the support that he needed. This improved version of Doncic will be for naught if Los Angeles’ supporting cast is not ready to help him win a championship.

Austin Reaves posted a strong all-around line of 25 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists while Rui Hachimura shot an efficient 10-of-13 from the field to finish with 23 points. Key offseason acquisition Deandre Ayton added 15 points, eight rebounds, and a block–something that must become the norm for him if the Lakers are to become a legitimate contender.

If Doncic can stay healthy and Los Angeles can emerge as one of the top seeds in the West, there is no doubt that he can emerge as a front-runner for this year’s NBA Most Valuable Player award. Unfortunately, a finger injury that he suffered in the win against Minnesota will sideline him for the next week. However, Reaves was more than ready to fill in for Doncic as he dropped a career-high 51 points in the Lakers’ first game without him–a 127-120 win

This season is shaping up to be as exciting as anticipated for Doncic and the Lakers, one that everyone has been expecting since last February’s trade.

They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but Doncic is serving it piping hot to Harrison and the Mavericks.