Lakers hold key to Luka Doncic greatness Mavericks will always wish they had

It's been over two months since the Dallas Mavericks initiated the most shocking trade in sports history. Since the trade, the Mavs organization has looked like a dumpster fire, from fans calling for Nico Harrison's job to Mavs Governor Patrick Dumont not including Dirk Nowitzki on his list of guys with a good work ethic.

With much respect to Anthony Davis' game, he doesn't have the same passing ability as Luka Doncic. Doncic is an elite-level playmaker who's helping the Los Angeles Lakers get better by finding his open teammates. Davis has a strong defensive game, but Doncic's offensive playmaking skills simply can't be replaced.

With Doncic being a Laker, he's getting free pointers from one of the greatest NBA players ever, and it's a situation that Dallas simply cannot match.

Doncic playing with James is the best possible situation for him

Doncic has been compared to LeBron James countless times, and now they're on the same team. Many NBA analysts and personalities have done the same. What fits perfectly is that Doncic and James have been fond of each other since Doncic entered the league.

James once called Doncic his favorite player when asked about players under 25 years old. It seems like it's been in the making for Doncic and James to play alongside each other, but for Mavs fans, it happened in the most heartbreaking way possible.

Doncic will only get better under James' leadership. James has been recognized for the past decade for his passing. Now, with two future Hall of Fame playmakers leading the way for the Lakers, it's hard to believe that Doncic wouldn't want to be in the position of playing with James. There was one time where it was rumored that James might team up with the Mavericks, but that never happened. Doncic idolized James growing up, now playing with his role model, Doncic is in the best spot possible.

Doncic now gets to learn from one of the hardest workers this game has ever seen, and this should help him on and off the floor.

Trading away a generational talent before he entered his prime was one thing, but trading away Doncic to team up with LeBron James might actually be worse than losing Doncic from a general perspective. The Lakers have defeated the Mavs in both matchups since Dallas lost Doncic, and we probably won't see any competitive games until Kyrie Irving returns.

Harrison emphasizes that "defense wins championships," as he first said on the night Doncic was traded, and has gone on a similar Allen Iverson "practice" trend for the last week, as he repeats that phrase whenever he can. The fact that Doncic was traded will never be forgiven, and Harrison, in a way, gifted Doncic by pairing him with one of the greatest players in history.