LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a free throw against the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on October 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a free throw against the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on October 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors on October 21 in their 2026-27 season-opening matchup at Crypto.com Arena in LA. Ahead of the fixture, Luka Doncic spoke to the media scrum at practice and shared his thoughts on the Lakers’ key new additions: Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, Walker Kessler, and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
One of the additions, Collin Sexton, began practice tonight as he looked to return to action after missing some preseason games with an injury. Luka Doncic first shared what it was like to have him back in practice today.
“He’s another guy he can bring the ball up. His energy is unmatched. So we’re really excited to have him back,” Doncic said.
The Slovenian star subsequently spoke about Ziaire Williams’ defensive IQ being useful for the Lakers on both ends of the floor.
“Yeah, he’s a very good player on both sides of the floor. He knows how to read defense. So, as you saw, you know, he can knock down three, he can cut, he cuts very well, and he can just read what the defense is doing,” Luka Doncic further added.
The most highly anticipated addition that Luka Doncic wanted this summer was a key big man who is a lob threat on pick-and-roll action. The Lakers traded for Walker Kessler to fulfill that role. The 27-year-old superstar shared how he’s been improving his chemistry with Kessler ahead of the regular season.
“For me, I think you get the best out of it with reps. The more reps you get, the better feel you develop for the pick-and-roll. But it’s always a conversation, too. I think the reps are the most important,” Luka Doncic said.
“Obviously, it was a little different because they blitzed me the whole game, so I think it’s something new to him,” Doncic added on playing two preseason games with Kessler. “But we’re working on that, and I think he’s improving a lot in that area. Obviously, we haven’t played against drop coverage yet.”
The most versatile and promising addition to the roster so far since the preseason began has been Sandro Mamukelashvili. Several players, coaches, and even experts have been impressed by what Mamukelashvili has brought to the roster: his rebounding effort, creative playmaking, and floor-spacing threat as a big.
“Yeah, he’s been very good… I think his playmaking is very good,” Doncic said about Mamukelashvili’s impact on the roster. “We keep encouraging him to bring the ball up after he gets the rebound. That way, we can just go faster. We keep encouraging him to do that.”
With Collin Sexton’s energy, Ziaire Williams’ defensive versatility, Walker Kessler’s rim-running ability, and Sandro Mamukelashvili’s playmaking, the Lakers have added valuable pieces around Luka Doncic this summer.
If these additions develop chemistry quickly and complement their superstar’s strengths, the Lakers could emerge as a serious championship contender in 2026-27. But it remains to be seen how this group handles adversity together for the first time and the high-pressure situations that come up on any given day in the regular season, let alone competing together in the playoffs.
Therefore, it may be too early to make championship predictions for this group, but anything can happen in this league.