Luka Doncic was asked about his scoring surge this week, but the numbers alone were not enough to impress him. Despite posting the highest scoring average of his career, the Lakers star made it clear in a chat with Dave McMenamin that he believes there is still another level to his game.
“I don’t think so,” Doncic said when asked if this is the best basketball of his career. “I think I have to play better. I feel like I can play better a lot of nights. So I don’t know if it’s the best basketball I’m playing just because of points, but I feel I can do way more stuff.”
Even with the production he is putting up nightly, Doncic does not view scoring as the barometer for his impact. He believes his overall game still has room to grow and that efficiency and effort across the board matter more than raw point totals.
“At the start of the season, I was playing great defense,” Doncic said. “I want to get back to that. Limiting my turnovers, being more efficient, getting more rebounds, and getting more assists. All of that I feel like I can do a lot better.”
This season, Doncic has been the engine of the Lakers’ offense, averaging 34.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 46.0 percent shooting (32.4 percent from three), while consistently drawing double teams and dictating tempo. His ability to control games has kept Los Angeles competitive and firmly in the playoff mix.
In the past, conditioning has been a talking point around Doncic, especially early in seasons. This summer, however, he made a point to arrive in peak shape, and the result has been the best scoring stretch of his NBA career. Amid career-high numbers, he has led the Lakers to the third-best record in the West, and they are considered among the top contenders. Still, if you ask Luka, the work is far from finished.
He and the Lakers have been exposed in recent games, including last week’s 132-119 loss to the Spurs. Los Angeles has struggled against younger, more athletic teams, and its weak team defense has made them vulnerable.
Taking care of the ball has been another issue this season, as the Lakers rank 10th in turnovers per game (15.7). JJ Redick has already been working to address this area, but progress has been marginal.
For Doncic, not even historic scoring numbers are enough to offset his shortcomings. With the entire Lakers franchise tied to his success, he understands the importance of holding himself to the highest standard possible.
In the end, Luka’s message is clear: scoring alone is not enough, and real growth comes from controlling every aspect of the game. If the Lakers are going to reach their ceiling, the details will matter just as much as the numbers. With expectations rising, the standard Luka holds himself to may ultimately define how far this team can go.
