The NBA knew it was only a matter of time before Luka Doncic accomplished with the Los Angeles Lakers what he had done with the Dallas Mavericks. During his seven years in Dallas, Doncic established himself as a player who could single-handedly elevate his team to the point of being able to compete with any opponent he encountered.
Actually defeating an opponent is ultimately a team effort, but in recent weeks, Doncic has confirmed the NBA's biggest fear: He can dominate with the Lakers, too, leading Los Angeles to a sensational eight-game winning streak.
Doncic is in spectacular form, scoring at a level the Lakers haven't seen one of their players sustainably reach since the Kobe Bryant era. He's averaging 33.4 points per game, which is the highest single-season average by a Lakers player since Bryant in 2005-06.
Doncic had also compiled the highest six-game scoring average by a Lakers player since Bryant recorded 39.2 in 2011-12. Then, he became the first Laker since Bryant in 2016 to score 60 points in a single game, thus creating a new six-game scoring average of 41.3.
For as shocking as those facts may be, they merely confirm what fellow NBA contenders knew all along: Doncic can dominate against any caliber of opponent and thus give the Lakers a chance to win any playoff series they enter.
At his best, Luka Doncic gives the Lakers a chance to beat any contender
Doncic has made a habit out of facing elite defenses and making them look silly in both regular season and postseason settings. His playoff heroics began in 2020, when he dropped 31.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game on Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the LA Clippers.
Doncic has remained in that statistical range ever since, compiling career postseason averages of 30.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists across five trips and 55 games played.
In addition to stuffing the stat sheet, Doncic has a history of taking down dominant teams in the playoffs. He led Dallas past the 64-win Phoenix Suns in 2022 as a No. 4 seed, averaging 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists aong the way.
Doncic then led Dallas past another No. 1 seed, the 57-win Oklahoma City Thunder, with averages of 24.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game in 2024.
With two trips to the Western Conference Finals and an appearance in the 2024 NBA Finals, there's already reason for teams to fear Doncic. What he accomplished in 2024 goes beyond simply advancing, however, as he became the first player in Association history to lead all postseason players in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
With eight straight wins, including five against teams that are on pace to make the playoffs, it certainly seems as though Doncic is back at the level that contenders have grown to fear.