Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic is not just a regular-season scoring machine. He's also a clutch demon with a tendency to level up during big playoff moments.
Back in 2020, a 21-year-old Doncic nailed a 28-foot step-back 3 at the buzzer in overtime to beat the LA Clippers in Game 4 of the first round, capping a 43-point triple-double masterclass.
In 2024, Luka hit a step-back 3 over Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert with 3.1 seconds remaining to seal a victory for the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Doncic hasn't had his big Lakers shot yet, but he's proven that he's clutch. There's a reason that he just finished third in the 2026-27 NBA GM Survey when it came to the category of which player GM's would want taking a shot with the game on the line.
Luka Doncic is one of the most trusted closers in the NBA
In a poll wherein GMs were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players, Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry led the "final shot" category in receiving 50 percent of the votes. Freshly minted NBA champ Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks finished second with 17 percent of the votes. Then came Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, tied for third with 10 percent each.
For Lakers fans, the poll results were bittersweet. On one hand, it was a reminder that LA boasts one of the premier late-game options in the world. On the other hand, it was a reminder that Doncic hasn't had the opportunity to showcase his clutch gene in a purple and gold uniform, mostly due to injury.
Doncic did play all five games of the 2025 first round series against the Timberwolves (his first playoff series as a Laker), and he did average 30.2 points per game in the series! But the Lakers were vanquished in five, and Luka wasn't fully healthy (he was bothered by a back injury). Then there's last season, in which Doncic missed the entire postseason.
Lakers must figure out how to keep Luka Doncic healthy heading into the playoffs this year
Luka may very well be one of the clutchest performers in the NBA, but that doesn't mean much if he's hobbling around in street clothes in May and June.
The next question becomes, how do the Lakers ensure that Luka is ready to go when the postseason arrives? While some of this is out of LA's control (injuries are not fully preventable, obviously), there's certainly a burden of responsibility on JJ Redick's shoulders to manage Doncic's minutes prudently over the course of the 82-game campaign.
Redick simply cannot afford to overwork Doncic during the regular season. The Lakers have another premier playmaker in Austin Reaves who can shoulder the No. 1 option role on certain nights. Redick can rest Doncic from time to time without the Lakers losing the ability to win games.
We all know that Luka can put a team on his back and get to an NBA Finals. What we don't know is how his body will hold up as he gets closer to his 30s. The Lakers need to get this down to a science and give Luka the best chance possible to peak in the spring every year.
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