Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves won’t lead Lakers to ‘promised land,’ Kendrick Perkins says

After the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a message to the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins is wondering what the future holds for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Perhaps the full-fleged message to the Lakers goes beyond this season, as Reaves’ contract extension will loom over the organization during the offseason.

Perkins is weary about the Doncic and Reaves combination as the core two players for the Lakers’ future, he said, per ESPN’s NBA Today.

“When you look big picture for the Lakers, you know what I saw from their game last night? The Lakers have to really think about who their two franchise guys are moving forward. I want Austin Reaves to get all the money in the world, but they have to be honest with themselves,” Perkins said.

“Is Luka [Doncic] and Austin Reaves two guys that you build around that’s gonna take you to the promised land? In my opinion, it’s no, because we’re in a game today that’s full of two-way players, and the bar has been set.”

“Is Luka [Doncic] and Austin Reaves two guys that you build around that's gonna take you to the promised land? In my opinion, it's no."

Kendrick Perkins on the Lakers

(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/y8FM1D3D9Z

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The 43-point beatdown is the worst loss of the season for the Lakers. After scoring 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting, including 1-for-7 from deep, Doncic suffered a hamstring injury when he exited the game in the third quarter. Reaves finished with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting, four rebounds, and four turnovers.

Colin Cowherd’s ‘Louis Vuitton bag’ take on Lakers-Thunder

Fox Sports 1’s Colin Cowherd made a Louis Vuitton bag metaphor to compare the Thunder to the Lakers in regards to a championship contender. The Thunder pulled ahead by targeting Lakers All-Star Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James, as Cowherd noted, per Fox Sports 1’s The Herd.

“Sometimes it’s hard to tell a fake Louis Vuitton bag from a real one until they’re next to each other, and I think you know what I’m getting at,” Cowherd said. “Once a team wins a championship, like the Thunder last year, they don’t care about the regular season. But here’s what the Thunder care about — humbling the Lakers and going after Luka to get SGA the MVP.”

The Lakers fell to 50-27.

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