As the new NBA season tips off, the Los Angeles Lakers are poised for a thrilling campaign, anchored by the dynamic star duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
After a mid-season blockbuster trade that reshaped the franchise, the question looms large – can these two offensive juggernauts, separated by 15 years in age and experience, forge the on-court synergy needed to propel the Lakers back to championship contention?
With Doncic, entering his first full season in purple and gold, and James sidelined by injury, the path forward tests not just their individual brilliance but also their ability to elevate a roster still finding its footing.
Last season was a tale of two halves for the Lakers, marked by the seismic February trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Doncic.
Los Angeles finished with a solid 50-32 record, securing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Doncic, thrust into a new environment mid-season, averaged 28.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in his 33 games with the team, according to statmuse.com.
He blended seamlessly at times with James but struggled with consistency amid the chaos of relocation and a calf injury that lingered from Dallas.
The play-offs exposed fractures. A humiliating 4-1 first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Doncic shot inefficiently in the decisive Game 5 (seven-of-18 from the field, two-of-eight from three for 28 points), left the team reeling.
In the wake of the defeat, he admitted to mental exhaustion from the “crazy season”, including the trade’s emotional toll and scrutiny from his former Mavericks front office.
“I’m mentally kind of exhausted after everything that happened. I’ll let you know in the pre-season what I learn about myself,” Doncic said in an interview with Sports Illustrated then.
The Lakers’ defensive lapses and the absence of a dominant centre post-Davis contributed to the early ouster, setting the stage for an urgent off-season overhaul.
For the Slovenian guard, this season represents a clean slate – his first complete training camp and pre-season with the Lakers, a luxury denied when he joined.
He has voiced excitement about the opportunity to build rapport, particularly with James and guard Austin Reaves. In the Sports Illustrated interview, he highlighted the value of the pre-season.
“It’s tough to get that chemistry on the court without any practices, so I’m really excited to have the pre-season with (James and Reaves) so we can learn about each other,” Doncic said, before James’ injury.
He drew parallels with his own growth with Kyrie Irving in Dallas, noting how a dedicated pre-season transformed their partnership into a Finals-calibre duo.
“I look back to Kyrie when he got traded to the Mavs, we didn’t really connect on the court, we didn’t really know each other’s games... Next year, we had pre-season together and it was just amazing,” he explained.
Early signs are promising.
In his pre-season debut against the Phoenix Suns on Oct 14, Doncic tallied 25 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in just 22 minutes, showcasing his signature step-back threes and playmaking flair.
“You know what he does, you know who he is on the court and it’s easy to stand behind someone like him – how talented he is, how good he is as a player,” said teammate Jake LaRavia.
With a leaner physique honed over the summer – he raised eyebrows when he was featured in Men’s Health – Doncic appears primed to lead, but the true test lies in translating practice reps into game flow.
James’ pre-season absence casts a shadow over the Lakers’ preparations.
Diagnosed with right-side sciatica – a nerve irritation stemming from glute discomfort that began in August – the 40-year-old forward missed the entire pre-season. He is ruled out for the season-opener against the Golden State Warriors, with a re-evaluation in three to four weeks, the team announced on Oct 9.
The injury’s ripple effects are significant for the Doncic-James chemistry.
James has not participated in full team practices, limiting joint reps to walkthroughs and film sessions. Doncic, however, praised his teammate’s off-court influence despite missing drills.
“It’s not everything about on the court,” he said, as quoted by AFP.
“It’s about chemistry off the court, too. So, obviously, now it’s a little more off the court... we watched practices this week, we talked a lot about it.”
James, entering his unprecedented 23rd season, remains an elite force when healthy – averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists last year in 70 games, according to statmuse.com.
“He’s a great player, he can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next man up,” said Doncic to Sports Illustrated earlier in October following James’ injury.
There is optimism in the Lakers’ camp about Doncic and James meshing in the long term.
Their styles – both high-usage ball-handlers – complemented in bursts last season, with 59 assist connections, per NBA.com.
As Lakers reporter Mike Trudell noted in a tweet, James has “went through the individual skillsets of the team’s new acquisitions”, presumably via a full off-season of film study, and he is excited to have a full campaign to further build on his partnership with Doncic.
Both players are elite creators who can score while also facilitating for others, leading to explosive scoring runs and historic stats.
In one standout game against the New York Knicks last season, Doncic tallied 32 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists alongside James’ 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, fuelling a 113-109 overtime comeback from a 13-point deficit.
Their combined pick-and-roll mastery overwhelmed defences, with Doncic’s step-back three-pointers and James’ drives creating easy lobs and kick-outs.
When the duo finally get going, the Lakers will then find their true strength.
The two superstars may not be enough, however. Off-season additions like Deandre Ayton and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart bolster the core, but challenges persist.
The Lakers ranked 29th in offensive rebounding and dead last in second-chance points last season, per Yahoo Sports, vulnerabilities exacerbated by Davis’ departure.
Ayton’s arrival addresses rim protection, but there are doubts about his consistency.
Defensively, Doncic and James’ slower foot speed invites exploitation; and the team have already allowed 111 points in a pre-season loss to Golden State.
Without James, Doncic shouldered a heavier load, although he said that it is not a question of consciously trying to fill the void.
“No, I don’t view it that way,” he told AFP. “I just want to play basketball. If I do less, if I do more, whatever it takes for me to get a win.”
But roster depth is also thin. Injuries to Jaxson Hayes (wrist) and rookie Chris Manon (ankle) – both listed as day-to-day – strain the frontcourt.
Stakeholders exude cautious optimism. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, post-trade, hailed Doncic as a “one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come”.
James, who had said that Doncic is his favourite player in the NBA, added: “Anytime you make a big acquisition in the middle of the season, it’s always going to be challenging... But having a guy like (Doncic) is very dynamic for any franchise.
“I just love the way he approaches the game. I love the way he plays the game.
“Big-time savant of the game. I always use IQ as a measuring point in basketball – guys who can think the game. There are so many guys in our league who can play the game, but to be able to think the game as well puts you at another level.”
Reaves, during the team’s media day, emphasised that the Lakers have only positive thoughts about the new season: “The eagerness levels are very high... A full training camp will help develop the cohesiveness.”
The Lakers’ ceiling ultimately hinges on Doncic-James harmony. A mid-November return for James could ignite a top-four Western Conference finish. Anything better than that remains to be seen.
Pre-season takeaways – Doncic-Ayton pick-and-roll progress, per head coach JJ Redick – offer hope, but the opener against Golden State without James will test their resolve.
In a league of super teams, the Lakers’ duo evokes Kobe-Shaq magic, but execution is key.
Doncic’s pre-season glee and James’ mentorship signal potential, and overcoming adversity will define their legacy. As the season dawns, the Lakers eye banner No. 18 – one gelled partnership away.