On Tuesday, Luka Doncic will face his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, for the first time since the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Given the storylines, it’ll be one of the most anticipated regular season games of the NBA season. Doncic is coming off a masterful performance against the Denver Nuggets, in which he scored 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, provided seven assists, and had four steals. Since returning from a six-week absence caused by a left calf strain, he looked most comfortable in Denver.

Additionally, the Lakers ran the offense through him more frequently, which paid off. “He was great. He controlled the game when he had the ball in his hands, made some great decisions,” Redick said of Doncic.

“I thought the way he handled the shock with Jokic up in pick-and-roll early, getting us good looks, getting Jaxson two layups.

They had to go to other options.

And then, on the other end, it was a top-notch defensive game for him. That was all our guys. They battled, and they competed, and they executed at a really high level.”

The transition has been anything but ordinary for Doncic, who was on a fast track to becoming a Dallas icon before the trade earlier this month. While Doncic’s next game will be against his former squad, Lakers head coach JJ Redick expects him to be fine.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Redick said of Doncic. “Every day that he’s been with us, it’s becoming a little more normal. I’ve been there. The first time you play your old team, particularly this close in time duration, it’s going to be weird. But he’ll be OK.”

The emotional stakes are high, not only for Doncic but also for fans and teammates who have witnessed his growth and are eager to see how he handles this new challenge.

“I think he’s going to be excited,” Dorian Finney-Smith said, who played with Doncic for most of his Mavericks career. “

But everybody in the locker room is excited. We got his back.” The Lakers have plenty of familiar faces for Doncic to be around during his transition, including Finney-Smith.

Other former Mavericks teammates and coaches include Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris, and assistant coach Greg St. Jean.

“I think just having familiar faces around is great for him,” Redick said. “You never know, though, because you’re talking about a guy who left home as a teenager to go to Madrid in a different country and learn how to speak Spanish on his own. Like, he’s a different dude.

But I think for him, given the magnitude of the change of scenery, I think having us around to help support him, I think has been great.” While the upcoming game in Los Angeles is critical, the return match in Dallas on Apr. 9 is highly anticipated.

Mavericks fans, who voiced their displeasure with the trade through protests and chants against general manager Nico Harrison, are expected to welcome Doncic with open arms and warm cheers.

Doncic is averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists with the Lakers after initially dealing with a minutes restriction and an adjustment to his new team.

His numbers are rising quickly, and his next chance to make another push will be against a team he led to the NBA Finals less than a year ago.