The Lakers have spent this season looking like a team built around one voice, one engine, and one superstar. Luka Doncic is running the show now, and the early returns have Los Angeles sitting at No. 1 in the West with Doncic emerging as the early MVP favorite.
That shift has also reopened an old debate about what Doncic looked like next to LeBron James. Former All-Star Jeff Teague didn’t mince words when he weighed in on the difference, saying he believes James kept Doncic from fully reaching the level he’s showing now.
“He had to dumb down his abilities a lil bit with LeBron, you know? He was still phenomenal but, you know, LeBron is LeBron he still holds a certain standard. Like these dudes right here, they going to fall in line.”
Teague’s point was simple: Doncic had to make some adjustments playing alongside a player with James’ stature, while this year’s Lakers are built to orbit around Doncic instead. And that has mattered. Los Angeles brought in nine new players this season, the biggest roster overhaul for a playoff team from the year before, all with the goal of putting the right pieces around Doncic.
This is Doncic’s third season in Los Angeles, but the first one where he is clearly the franchise centerpiece. Before this year, that belonged to James. Now James is out of the picture and out of the conference, and Doncic is thriving in the role.
The contrast with last season is hard to ignore. Doncic and James spent a season and a half together and were, at least on paper, one of the most dangerous pairings the league had seen. But the results never quite matched the hype people attached to them.
In 72 games together, the Lakers went 47-25. They logged 2,450 minutes and produced 1,557 points, 467 rebounds, 474 assists, 87 steals and 43 blocks.
Doncic wasn’t bad beside James. He just wasn’t doing what he’s doing now through 11 games this season, when everything around him seems to be clicking at once.
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Austin Reaves Turned A Heated Lakers Moment Into Something Detroit Hated
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One of the more memorable moments came on a banked-in three-pointer that Reaves said had a little of Doncics flavor to it, which fit the strange rhythm of the night. The Lakers got the result they wanted in Detroit, and then Doncic came back in the next game against the Hawks to help lead another win, giving the team a quick reminder of how dangerous it can be when its stars and supporting pieces are both rolling. [Read more 🡒]