There is a careful balance that needs to be struck around Luka Doncic. On one hand, the guys who play with the Los Angeles Lakers superstar must be adept at moving without the ball due to his firm command over an offense. On the other hand, Doncic cannot do it all by himself. The players supporting him cannot just be liabilities on the ball.
Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes are two players who should fit those desirables perfectly. Both of them can space out and relocate around the perimeter for catch-and-shoot opportunities. They can also break down their defenders off the dribble when necessary.
A Lakers assistant coach speaking to Keith Smith at Summer League was excited about the additions of Grimes and Sexton for those type of reasons. Next year's Lakers are not just going to be the Doncic show. The superstar guard should have help.
“Collin will help us speed things up a bit. He’s pretty good at getting the ball and going. Quentin gives us another offensive weapon both on- and off-ball, and he’s a better defender than he gets credit for. Collin can also heat up the ball in the backcourt with pressure too.”
The versatility of Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes should greatly aid the Lakers
Perhaps Rob Pelinka is quietly a Hannah Montana enjoyer, because adding Grimes and Sexton aims for getting the best of both worlds.
Grimes had a down year shooting the ball in 2025-26, hitting only 33.4 percent of his 3-point attempts. In spite of that, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard still thrived when given an opportunity on the catch. The new Laker was shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc on his catch-and-shoot triples.
As a self-creator, fans and management alike will point to the second half of the 2024-25 campaign with Grimes as reason to be confident in what the talented guard can do when given the opportunity to get himself buckets. It was a small sample size, but a very encouraging one.
Sexton, by contrast, has far more of an established track record when it comes to generating offense for himself. While many of those squads may not have been great basketball teams, the well-traveled guard still showcased plenty of ability to find his own opportunities with the ball in his hands.
Last season also showed that Sexton is capable operating off the ball. When playing off LaMelo Ball with the Charlotte Hornets during 2025-26, the now Lakers guard shot 46.0 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s in his 42 games there.
The proof is in the pudding. Grimes and Sexton have displayed the ability to get things done on and off the ball. For Doncic, that is exactly what he should be asking for in his backcourt teammates.
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