‘Luka Magic’ is probably a close second for me in terms of favorite Luka Doncic nickname. The only one that tops it for me is ‘the Don,’ which is definitely some bias because of my love for Mafia/Mob movies.
When people call Luka ‘Magic,’ many people think of the crazy stepback triples, the insane and-ones, or game winners. But the most magical part of Luka’s game is his playmaking, which will be on an even bigger display this season.
Luka’s ability to create for others and make mind-boggling passes would make you think he has a much higher career assist-per-game average than 8.2. He doesn’t.
Since Luka’s arrival in LA, one of the things that has been desperately missing is elite floor spacing, and as a result, his playmaking has never taken that next step. When you’re averaging 30-plus points per game, eight assists a night is more than enough. But for the Lakers to be at their best, Luka taking a step back as a scorer and focusing more on playmaking could be key.
Thankfully, the offseason Rob Pelinka just had has set Luka up perfectly to finally average double-digit assists. He has given him the most spacing of his Lakers career.
‘Luka Magic’ can get cranked up to a new level in Los Angeles next season
The reason Luka hasn't taken that next leap and led the league in assists was never a him problem. When you’re the best scorer in the world like Luka is, your teammates are going to see plenty of open shots—it’s just a matter of making or missing them.
Last season, there were a lot of misses. If I had a dollar for every time Luka drove and kicked out to an open Jake LaRavia for him to clank it off the iron, I wouldn’t have to write this article.
This year, when Luka gets into the pick-and-roll to attack the rim, not only will he have a proper screen set by Walker Kessler, but he’ll also have the shooters around him to make defenses pay.
The two biggest ones are Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
For his career, Grimes is a 36.6 percent 3-point shooter, and while he’s been in a more on-ball role in recent years, he’s truly at his best off the ball as a catch-and-shooter. Going back to his three years with the New York Knicks from 2021-24, he became the darling of their fanbase because he was so lethal off the ball and made the job of their playmakers so rewarding.
Same thing for Mamu, who really broke out for Toronto last season, finishing top-10 in Sixth Man of the Year voting. He was a consistent source of 3-point scoring for the Raptors and made Scottie Barnes' life as a playmaker so much easier with his pick-and-pop ability.
Collin Sexton is another guy who will only help Luka. Over the last four seasons, he’s shot 39.3 percent or higher from deep and is excellent off the catch. Having him check in when Austin Reaves, who shot 36 percent from distance last season, checks out will help Luka stack up more assists.
Even at the NBA Draft, Pelinka followed the heavy floor spacing blueprint, drafting Cameron Carr out of Baylor. The young wing shot 37.4 percent from downtown on over six attempts per game last season.
Rui Hachimura was Luka's only elite floor spacer until last year's deadline when LA acquired Luke Kennard. Now he enters the 2026-27 season with more spacing than he’s ever seen in LA.
This is all before mentioning that with a more spaced floor, getting clean lobs for Kessler only becomes easier. Oh, and what does that mean? More easy assists.
While Luka may see a minor drop scoring-wise this season, he’s in a position to post playmaking numbers as we’ve never seen before.
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