There are few players in NBA history who were capable of raising a team's floor in the way LeBron James was during his prime. The start to the 2025-26 season has offered glimpses of Luka Doncic that look very reminiscent of the player James was back then.
The Lakers have posted a strong 10-4 record to begin the new campaign. Doncic missed a bit of time near the start of the year due to injuries, but when available, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has led his team to a 7-3 mark with him in the lineup thanks to some stellar individual play.
Luka Doncic has been at an MVP-level by every stretch of the imagination
Doncic enjoyed his fourth 40-point scoring performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. It was the driving force behind the Lakers' commanding 119-95 win on the road.
As is typically the case with Doncic, it was not just about his scoring. The superstar point guard also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out six assists, blocked two shots, and stole the ball once to go with his 41 points in the victory. This was on the second night of a back-to-back.
Another masterclass from Luka brought his averages on the season to 34.4 points (leading the NBA), 8.9 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, with a true shooting percentage of 61.5. The early statistics look reminiscent of the 2023-24 season when the former Dallas Mavericks superstar finished third in the MVP race.
After a rollercoaster in 2024-25 forced Doncic to adapt to a new environment midway, Luka is having fun again. The Lakers superstar said as much following the win over the Bucks.
"When I came, I was probably a little more quiet [and] trying to get to know people," Doncic said after the Milwaukee game. "But right now I'm just being myself, just joking around a lot, trash talking."
It sure must be fun to be the best player on almost every court you step on. The value of the newfound comfort has tangibly translated.
Doncic is being asked to carry a heavy load for the Lakers offensively, currently leading the NBA with a 36.7 usage percentage. In being asked to lift the team up, Los Angeles has posted an offensive rating that is +10.2 better with him on the court than off it.
Doncic is averaging .241 win shares per 48 minutes, and a box plus/minus of 10.3. His value over replacement player being 1.2 already is a fast start in the category as well.
The irony here is LeBron is set to return to the lineup any day now. Any opportunity that James has gotten to watch his Lakers from the sidelines or broadcast should have given him flashbacks of himself when looking at number 77. That is without the otherworldly athleticism, of course.