Luka Doncic has to start moving without the ball. It is that simple, and that important. The Los Angeles Lakers did not bring Doncic in just to run endless pick-and-rolls like he did with the Dallas Mavericks.
With LeBron James and Austin Reaves sharing the floor, he will not have the ball in his hands every possession. So now the question is: Can he become an off-ball weapon?
Luka Doncic must evolve into an off-ball threat for the Lakers
If he is able to cut, screen and slip into space, the Lakers offense might honestly be close to being unstoppable. This would be the kind of shift that turns a great team into a serious contender. That is a version of Doncic that we have not seen consistently.
When he was on the Mavericks, there is no doubt that he ran the show. Everything flowed through him. In Los Angeles, the ball moves, and so does the system.
As Jovan Buha recently explained on Buha’s Block, Redick wants more structure. That means built-in actions. Not just isolation or simple reads.
He wants Doncic coming off pin-downs, or posting up on the second side, or being part of more creative sets. These wrinkles make the offense more dynamic, and definitely harder to guard.
Physically, he looks ready. Doncic has showed up leaner and healthier this offseason. A more mobile Doncic means he can cut with purpose. It also means he can get downhill off the catch, something we saw flashes of early in his career when he was able to dunk.
Doncic needs to make sure to use the tools available to his disposal. LeBron’s the perfect model. He is one of the most effective off-ball players ever. If he even partially follows that path, defenses are going to have a problem. Especially with Reaves initiating some sets and shooters spacing the floor.
This does not mean Doncic changes who he is. He will certainly still be the primary engine most of the time. When the offense is not flowing through him, he has the chance to add pressure in a completely different way.
If Doncic embraces the off-ball role, even just in stretches, the Lakers will not just be dangerous. They could be impossible to scheme against. That might be the difference between another early exit and a legitimate title run.