The second-half surge for the Los Angeles Lakers was strongly aided by what Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard gave Luka Doncic. Their elite floor-spacing created more room for the Lakers superstar to operate and elevate his MVP-level play. That is something Rob Pelinka and the front office should be mindful of heading into the offseason.
After the All-Star break, the Lakers became a top-five 3-point shooting team in the NBA by the percentages. They shot a mark of 37.8 from beyond the arc.
Granted, they were also taking a bottom-five low when it came to the attempts from deep (31.9 per game). Even so, the positive effects on offense that resulted from having efficient and elite shooting around Doncic was clear. The Lakers boasted an impressive 118.4 offensive rating over that span.
Lacking ready and capable shooters on the perimeter is a waste of Doncic's offensive talents. The superstar point guard has a ton of gravity that leads to healthy scoring opportunities, both for himself and his teammates. The Lakers would be wise to keep that mental note front and center before retooling the roster around Luka this summer.
Lakers must prioritize shooting as a must-have around Luka Doncic
Is it a coincidence that Doncic and the Lakers played their best basketball in March after the team got that boost on the perimeter? Health, chemistry, and added factors aided the cause too, but Doncic was playing out of his mind as the team went 15-2 in large part due to the spacing.
Hachimura (44.3 percent) and Kennard (47.8) percent both shot well above the 40-percent clip during the 2025-26 season. Knowing those kinds of options are on the other end of a Doncic kickout pass creates massive discomfort for opposing defenses.
It all quickly becomes a game of pick your poison. A player with the basketball IQ of Doncic's level has very little difficulty exploiting that, too.
"When you surround him with shooting, especially in the regular season, you'll get some good results on offense," Iztok Franko said during an appearance on Buha's Block. "... Those lineups worked great, especially with Kennard. They generated some elite offense down the stretch."
Factoring that in should lead the Lakers to seriously consider either how they can bring those guys back or replace them adequately for next year's team. Los Angeles cannot afford to be rolling out many support pieces who leave room for defenders to sag off and muck up Doncic's space to operate.
Having sharpshooters goes a long way in an offense with Luka. That should get someone of that mold a payday in Los Angeles this summer.
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