Luka Doncic vs. LeBron James: Can Dallas Mavs' High-Octane Offense Overpower Los Angeles Lakers?

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have a decent defense and have won five of their last six games, but can they keep pace with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's Dallas Mavericks, who rank third in offense and are desperate to get back into the win column?

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have gotten some much-needed rest as they look to get back in the win column on Wednesday night against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. After losing to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Mavs have now lost three of their last four games. However, they still have a 9-5 overall record, which is good for fourth in the Western Conference as things currently stand.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have figured things out after a disappointing 3-5 start to the season, as they've won five of their last six games heading into Tuesday's matchup against the Utah Jazz. The Mavs will be catching the Lakers on a second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday, as well as a third game in four nights, but as we've learned, that doesn't mean anything if Dallas doesn't show some pride on the defensive end of the floor.

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was dejected after a second consecutive loss on Sunday night / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Doncic and company were in a similar situation recently, as they had multiple days of rest before taking on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, who were playing on a second night of a back-to-back and third game in four nights on Saturday. Despite having the rest advantage, the Mavs made the Bucks look like the team with the fresh legs, ultimately losing 132-125.

On today's episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, we discuss the Mavs' defensive woes, and whether or not its something that can be fixed with effort alone, as Grant Williams stated after Dallas' most recent loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. From there, we preview the Mavs' matchup with the Lakers, including how Dallas should be able to outscore L.A. if they even bring an ounce of defensive effort to the table.

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From there, we talk about James' unprecedented superstar longevity, as well as how there will inevitably be some trade speculation come from this matchup, as the L.A. media loves to keep Mavs star point guard Kyrie Irving linked to their team.

You can watch and listen to the full segment below, and be sure to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you get your podcasts! You can also leave us a review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win future giveaways.