passing reads that caught his new teammates off guard.

It was already clear that Doncic would add different layers of production and efficiency to the Lakers’ offense. The Dallas Mavericks finished No. 8 or higher in offensive efficiency in four of the previous five seasons with Doncic at the helm. The Lakers were producing at the rate of a top-eight offense in their previous 10 games before Doncic made his debut.

Coach JJ Redick has said the team has gone through a monthslong process of simplifying the offense, and that’s especially been the case in light of their recent additions.

But the three-man offensive engine of Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves should be able to help the Lakers produce at an even higher level, especially once Doncic is more comfortable.

Small-ball lineups

How often are the Lakers willing to lean on smaller lineups?

The Lakers were already playing a significant amount of minutes with James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura or Dorian Finney-Smith playing center without another big man on the floor with them.

The team signed Alex Len shortly before the break to back up now-starting big man Jaxson Hayes, but Len hasn’t played significant minutes in a few seasons.

It’s unclear whether they’ll add another big man to the roster.

The Lakers have gone well with their small-big groups, winning those possessions by a decent margin. Whether that sustains for the remainder of the season is something to keep an eye on.

Health

Gabe Vincent (left knee soreness) and Finney-Smith (left ankle soreness) weren’t available in the road loss to the Jazz, with the duo getting the game off to rest pre-existing ailments.

Vincent had left knee surgery last season, while Finney-Smith has been dealing with ankle issues for the past couple of months.

Redick said it was “just standard maintenance” for both Vincent and Finney-Smith.

James didn’t play in Sunday’s All-Star game, citing lingering discomfort in his left foot and ankle.

Hayes suffered a facial contusion in the second game against the Jazz while Doncic could still be under a playing time restriction coming out of the break.