The Los Angeles Lakers have won 14 of their past 16 games. During that time, Luka Doncic has made a powerful case for both MVP and All-NBA First Team recognition, dominating in ways that few players can even hope to emulate.
Over the course of the Lakers' 14-2 run, Doncic and company have created a blueprint for success that no team can hope to stop when it's working: Playing through Doncic and taking care of the ball.
Doncic is the key to everything else Los Angeles is hoping to achieve. When he's at his best, he can bend opposing defenses to his will and dominate as both a scorer and a playmaker in ways that give his team a chance against any caliber of opponent.
That's taken hold over the past 16 games, as Doncic has averaged a mind-blowing 36.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.3 steals, and 4.9 three-point field goals made on .493/.390/.785 shooting.
What's transpired around him is just as essential and provides invaluable insight into the battles Los Angeles must win to realize its potential. That consistently begins with committing fewer turnovers than they create.
If Doncic can continue to play like the superstar he is and the Lakers can win in those areas, they'll be a championship-caliber force that no team will be able to stop.
Luka's brilliance + winning turnover battle = Lakers win
In terms of Doncic's greatness, the Lakers are now 12-3 when he scores at least 40 points and 32-11 when he drops at least 30. They're also 18-4 when Doncic records at least 10 assists, including a 10-2 record in 2026.
Though it's bigger than statistics, the bottom line appears to be that Doncic's best performances as a scorer and playmaker tend to coincide with the Lakers winning games.
The additional context, however, is that the Lakers are dominating the turnover battle over the past 16 games. They've committed the sixth-fewest turnovers in the NBA at 12.9 per game while ranking No. 11 in turnovers forced at 15.3.
Los Angeles is also No. 4 with 21.4 points scored off of turnovers per game during that time while allowing 16.3.
That's fairly consistent with what's transpired over the course of the season. Through 73 games, the Lakers produce a difference of +1.7 in points via turnovers per game during wins and -2.0 during losses. That's admittedly unsurprising considering the Lakers' top three players are all ball dominant stars who can take control of a game when they're taking care of the ball.
With a combination of Doncic bending opposing defenses to his will and the Lakers taking care of the ball, the blueprint for success is clear to see. Good luck stopping it when it's working.