The Los Angeles Lakers are 6-2 after a win over the Miami Heat on Monday behind a 42-point double-double from Luka Doncic. The superstar sat out in a victory over the crosstown rival Clippers. In his seven games, the purple and gold have scored 125 or more six times and look unstoppable. Luka is the best scorer on the planet, and the Lakers' elite offense gives them a shot to win every game.
The Lakers lead the NBA with a 121.9 offensive rating, and this is just the beginning. They have nine new players from last season. This group is still figuring things out. They were built to maximize Luka, and that is exactly what is happening.
Luka is hitting his 3-pointers and getting everyone else involved. He is averaging 38.3 points, 5.9 3-pointers made, and 8.1 assists per game. He is the early front-runner for MVP and is getting the most out of the players around him. Austin Reaves looks like the ideal co-star. The Lakers have plenty of shooting and versatility flanking Doncic. It looks like no team can stop the Lakers.
Luka Doncic keeps going off
Doncic has scored 40-plus in four of the last five games, including a 52-point barrage against the Utah Jazz. He makes it look so effortless. Luka is averaging 15.0 points, 3.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in the first quarter to start this season. The average NBA player would love to have that stat line for the entire game. Luka is doing it in 12 minutes.
Luka is a notoriously slow starter from 3-point range, but not this season. He has made 41 of his 96 attempts from long range through seven games. Doncic took time off this summer, and it looks like it has helped him be locked in from the jump. He has drilled at least five 3-pointers in six of his seven contests and is shooting 42.7 percent from deep.
Luka looks unstoppable. On top of everything else, he is shooting a career-high 88.9 percent from the foul line. That is a massive improvement from his 75.7 percent career average. Fans know Doncic is one of the best in the world at getting to the line. He leads the NBA with 10.1 free-throw attempts per contest. If he’s making his freebies at a ten percent higher clip, Luka is even more dangerous.
Austin Reaves' efficiency makes this offense elite
Luka’s Mavericks led the NBA in offensive rating in 2020. He is one of the best creators in the world, along with being arguably the best scorer. Doncic is a walking top-ten offense alone, but Reaves gives LA a shot at being historically elite.
Reaves is averaging 23.6 points, 5.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 35.8 minutes per game to start the year. Those are All-Star counting stats, but his shooting takes it to another level. He has made 53.9 percent of his field goal attempts and 44.4 percent from long range. Reaves can’t miss.
He is getting a ton of open looks when on the floor with Luka. AR has been up-and-down running the offense when Doncic needs a rest, but the consistency should improve with reps. Fans have seen number 77 make deep playoff runs playing next to Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving. Reaves could be Luka's next number two who does it on incredible efficiency.
Austin Reaves looks like an All-Star and will draw All-NBA consideration if he keeps playing like this. Doncic and Reaves are becoming a legit star duo, but it is not just them.
Lakers masterfully built this roster around Luka Doncic
Los Angeles finally has the rim protector and lob threat Luka has wanted since the stunning trade was finalized. Walker Kessler is still finding his footing with the new-look Lakers, but fans have seen the impact he can make finishing inside and being a rim deterrent.
Head coach JJ Redick is starting two 3-and-D wings in Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams. They are providing spacing and defense.
Getting stops is still a work-in-progress for the Lakers. They are 21st in defensive rating, but Redick has made the whole be better than the sum of its parts on defense before. He must work his magic again with this group.
The bench is versatile. They are already providing a ton of energy, with players like Collin Sexton, Jake LaRavia, and Sandro Mamukelashvili making an impact. The Lakers have shooting, creativity, and a different energy coming from the reserves.
The Los Angeles Lakers have the best offense in the NBA and haven’t fully had time to develop chemistry. They should improve on both ends of the floor as the season wears on. The Lakers have nine new players who are finding how to maximize each other.
Being elite on one side of the ball is a strong start. If coach Redick can get their defense into the top ten, Los Angeles could quickly join the title favorites. Right now, their elite offense puts them in the championship conversation. The Nuggets followed a similar formula to the title in 2023. Luka Doncic is the best scorer in the world, and the pieces around him fit. Good luck stopping the Lakers this season.
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