when Luka Doncic started the 2025-26 season for the Lakers with 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in a loss to the Warriors, one thought remained in the minds of fans: The engine is revving. A few days later, the five-time All-Star smashed 49 in two matches, taking his total to a franchise-best 92. On the surface, this is the high-octane offense the purple and gold have been looking for for a long time. However, there are noticeable cracks underneath.
The incredible talent that Dončić is showing has shown the Lakers to be something they can't keep up with. In the opener against the Warriors, they committed 20 turnovers, trailed by 10 in the third quarter and generally looked lost. And while his next appearance at Crypto.com Arena ended with a win, it came after exceeding expectations against the Timberwolves (59.2% shooting overall, 41.4% from three).
So how can the Lake Show be described at the beginning of the season? Dončić is operating at a level that requires attention; He is the fourth player in National Basketball Association history to start a season with consecutive 40-point games, following Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Anthony Davis. Yet, in the face of his talent, the message being conveyed is that he has to be at his peak all the time to even have a glimpse of success.
Needless to say, coach JJ Redick flagged the repeated collapse in the third quarter in his postmortem. “We continue to be a terrible third quarter team,” he said after the opener. The Lakers hung with the Warriors in the first half, then collapsed early in the second half. And although they were more focused when they hosted the Timberwolves, the jury was out on whether they could remain consistently competitive.
Determining the Lakers' true colors matters for two reasons. First of all, Doncic is on a mission to prove his worth as a winner after his divorce from the Mavericks. The early headlines highlight his star power, but also refute it. Outside of Austin Reeves and the continued absence of LeBron James, the guys around him have been spotty at best.
Second, the distinction between high individual output and systemic dysfunction is clear. Doncic seems to be scoring over 40 at every turn. However, amidst the explosion, the Lakers have to defend, rebound, rotate and execute, and not just in expansion. If they really have to compete for hardware, they can't rely on their best player ever to carry the load alone. He may be humming, but the others should be in tune.
Overall, Doncic is set to stay with the Lakers. The question is whether everyone can make it worth their time.
Anthony L. Kuekong has been writing court side since businessworld Introduced a sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resource management, corporate communications and business development.
