The Los Angeles Lakers have entered the All-Star break with a 33-21 record, and Luka Doncic is confident they’ll be able to make a big run in the second half of the season. During an appearance on SportsCenter, Doncic was asked about the key to the Lakers making a solid postseason run this time around.
“First of all, just staying together,” Doncic said. “Obviously, we have three main ball-handlers: me, [Austin Reaves], and [LeBron James]. I think we can be a very, very dangerous team. We haven’t had much time to play together since everyone had been injured a little bit, but I’m excited after All-Star. We all get to play together.”
Injuries have meant that Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves have played just 10 games together this season. For the Lakers to be 12 games above .500 and fifth in the West despite the big guns being sidelined for long stretches is impressive. Head coach JJ Redick pointed to the injuries as well when he expressed satisfaction with their record at the break.
Doncic was the latest to go down, missing the Lakers’ last four games before this break with a left hamstring strain. The Slovenian is expected to be able to play in the All-Star Game and should be fit and firing after the break.
Doncic is currently in the midst of one of the very best seasons of his career. He is averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2025-26.
Add those incredible stats to the team record, and you get a strong MVP candidate. Doncic has never won the award, with his highest finish being third in 2024. Provided he remains eligible for MVP, it looks likely he’ll finish third at worst this time around.
While you’d expect the Lakers to finish the season strong if the stars are healthy, there remain serious concerns about how they will fare in the playoffs. They were the third seed last season and surprisingly lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round. It wouldn’t be a surprise if that happens again, because they aren’t a great defensive team.
The Lakers have shown some improvement on defense lately, but their 116.6 defensive rating still only ranks 23rd. They especially struggle against young athletic teams and did nothing to address that problem at the trade deadline. The Lakers acquired Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks, and while he provides a huge shooting boost, he is another below-average defender.
Having an offense that can put up points in a hurry is certainly beneficial in the playoffs, but it is defense that wins championships. Of the six teams that have won the NBA championship in the 2020s, only one didn’t rank in the top 10 in defensive rating. That was the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets, who were 15th. They were still much better than these Lakers have been.
Doncic and James have made their doubters look foolish in the past, so you shouldn’t completely dismiss the Lakers, but you shouldn’t bet on them to go all the way either.
