Bully ball has been a steady part of Luka Doncic's scoring production throughout his NBA career. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar can be a tough player to prevent from scoring at the basket when he really utilizes his size and strength for leverage. The frequency at which Doncic delivers that brand of basketball hit an all-time low in 2025-26.
Last season, Luka only shot roughly 8 percent of his total attempts at zero to three feet from the rim. That was notably the first time in his career that Doncic registered a percentage under 10. His previous low was in the 2024-25 season when that number stood at 10.4 for the campaign.
Despite the decrease in frequency, Doncic's success rate at zero to three feet in 2025-26 featured the second highest field goal percentage of his career. Luka connected on 82.9 of those attempts. The Lakers superstar has a career mark of 74.6 from that range overall, highlighting his brilliance at the basket.
With the effort to add more shooting around Doncic this summer, the extra spacing should allow Luka an uptick in just how often he attacks the rim. It is tough to just force your way to that basket when the floor is condensed around you and defenses are cheating over to your side. With the new faces in Los Angeles, the Lakers should be poised to punish opposing teams one way or another.
Lakers' boosted spacing should bring back Luka Doncic's bully ball
The Lakers added Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton, who should all be legitimate perimeter threats. Walker Kessler is flirting with the idea of adding the 3-point shot as a regular part of his offense.
Cameron Carr has elite shooting mechanics. Ziaire Williams worked on his jumper during the offseason. Jaden Hardy can stroke it from deep. Matisse Thybulle is arriving in Los Angeles after being a 37.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc in Portland (even if the looks were open and easy).
So many of these new players can provide the spacing that will create easier driving lanes for Doncic. If those defenses want to take away that drive by collapsing on Luka, his playmaking will punish them for it. Having guys on the perimeter to reliably capitalize on those kick-out passes will go far.
There is every opportunity for the Lakers to turn all of that into a challenge of pick your poison for opposing defenses. Would you rather have Doncic beat you for two at the rim, or do you roll the dice on the perimeter shooters doing it from deep?
It should still be expected that defenses will be prioritizing shutting down Luka, not that many have truly had success with that during recent years. However, the extra perimeter pressure provided by the Lakers' floor spacers should still let Doncic return to a more comfortable shot diet that includes a whole lot more easy points at the basket.
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