Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has made it clear that his primary goal is to win a title. Unfortunately, the Lakers are headed down a path that the Denver Nuggets have unfortunately traveled en route to depriving Nikola Jokic of the help he needs to win a second championship. It's a road paved by failing to adequately develop a high-level second unit in an era that all but requires such a strength.
Though the Nuggets attempted to revamp their bench in 2025, their 2026 first-round exit and upcoming offseason headaches are proof of how badly the Lakers need to learn the value of sustainable depth.
Denver won the 2023 NBA championship with a second unit that ranked No. 5 in the NBA in offensive rating. It ranked No. 8 in 2023-24, but dropped to No. 27 in 2024-25. It made an effort to improve in 2025-26, and the results were promising in the sense that they jumped 11 spots to No. 16.
Unfortunately, each of the Nuggets' top three leading players in minutes per game amongst those who aren't full-time starters are now headed to free agency: Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Peyton Watson.
Unfortunately, Doncic's experience with the Lakers has revealed similar warts. Los Angeles' bench finished the 2025-26 season at No. 23 in offensive rating. To make matters worse, each of the team's seven leading players in minutes per game during the 2026 NBA Playoffs will be eligible for free agency.
Both Denver and Los Angeles have all but inevitably lost in the second round or earlier in each of the past two seasons despite having two of the best players in the NBA. They'll need to catch up to the modern standard of having reliable depth if they hope to contend again.
Lakers need better bench to dodge Nuggets' starter-heavy shortcomings
Doncic and Jokic may not be carbon copies of one another, but there are several key similarities between them. That includes the fact that they're dominant scorers, brilliant playmakers, and high-usage talents through whom their respective teams' entire offense tends to run.
For as remarkable as it is to watch them work their magic, even the most gifted offensive talents can't do it all on their own.
Some teams have opted to interpret that truth as a reason to invest top dollar in co-stars and starters—and effectively end their efforts there. The top contenders, however, have flooded their rotations with high-end talent and permitted themselves to rely on more than just the stars for nightly value.
Just turn on the Conference Finals and one can see that the 64-18 Oklahoma City Thunder and 62-20 San Antonio Spurs have complemented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama with co-stars, quality starters, and balanced second units.
Depth is essential to sustained success in the modern NBA
Unfortunately, Denver and Los Angeles can't catch Oklahoma City and San Antonio by following an identical formula. The Spurs and Thunder paid above market for key players at a time when at least two of their stars were still on rookie-scale contracts. The Lakers and Nuggets simply lack the same luxury after failing to capitalize on the years when they had it.
What Los Angeles can do, however, is value its draft picks moving forward, take chances on promising young talent on team-friendly deals, and invest in more than just the starters.
In 2026, that process must begin with the Lakers keeping and developing the prospect they select at No. 25 overall. It must continue with building upon a savvy 2025 decision, when it signed Jake LaRavia to a two-year, $12 million deal.
More signings of that nature, as well as early extensions at cost-efficient levels, could prove to be the difference between a star-heavy team and a truly balanced contender.
The Lakers are, unfortunately, playing a bit of catch-up after trading their first-round picks in all but two years between 2019 and 2025. If they can improve their handling of the NBA Draft moving forward, however, and monitor the open market for undervalued talent, then they can fix their second unit over time.
It may not all transpire in just one summer, but if Pelinka can learn from past mistakes, then the Lakers can give Doncic what the Nuggets have failed to provide to Jokic: A reliable second unit.
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