Lakers Struggling to Build Around Luka Doncic’s Unique Skill Set
The Los Angeles Lakers have a generational talent in Luka Doncic-a player who can bend defenses with his scoring, punish mismatches with his vision, and carry an offense with his sheer brilliance. But as special as Doncic is, even the brightest stars need the right pieces around them. And right now, the Lakers just aren’t giving him the support he needs to thrive.
Doncic is a one-man offense when he’s locked in. He can isolate, create off the dribble, hit step-back threes, and pick apart defenses with pinpoint passing.
He’s even shown flashes of being a capable off-ball threat when he’s engaged. But for all his offensive wizardry, defense remains a mixed bag.
He’s not a sieve, but he’s not a stopper either-and his consistency on that end still leaves something to be desired.
That’s why roster construction around Doncic isn’t just important-it’s essential. His game demands three key ingredients: rim protection, perimeter shooting, and athletic wing defenders. Without them, the burden on Doncic becomes too heavy, and the team’s ceiling drops.
Unfortunately, the Lakers are missing in all three areas.
Shooting Woes Undercut Offensive Potential
On the surface, Los Angeles looks solid offensively. They sit eighth in the league in offensive rating, which suggests they’re getting buckets at a high clip. But dig a little deeper, and the cracks start to show-especially from beyond the arc.
The Lakers rank 23rd in three-pointers made per game, 24th in three-point percentage, and a staggering 28th in wide-open threes converted. That last stat is especially telling.
Doncic is a magnet for help defenders, and he creates plenty of clean looks for teammates. But if those shots aren’t falling, it shrinks the floor and makes life harder for everyone-especially Doncic.
Without reliable catch-and-shoot threats, defenses can collapse into the paint, cutting off driving lanes and forcing Doncic to work even harder for every point and assist. It's not just inefficient-it’s unsustainable.
Defensive Holes on the Perimeter and in the Paint
Defense is where the Lakers’ issues become even more glaring.
They’re in the bottom half of the league in opponent threes allowed per game and rank 24th in opponent three-point percentage. That’s a double whammy: not only are teams getting good looks from deep, they’re knocking them down at a high rate. The Lakers’ perimeter defense just isn’t holding up.
And it doesn’t get much better inside. Los Angeles is 28th in opponent field goal percentage within five feet of the rim.
Only the Jazz and Kings have been worse in that area. That’s a problem when you’re trying to compete in a league full of elite slashers and pick-and-roll threats.
The Lakers simply don’t have the kind of athletic, switchable wing defenders who can handle the league’s best scorers. Nor do they have a true rim protector anchoring the paint. Instead, they’re relying on a patchwork group of minimum-salary bigs and buyout-market veterans-players who, while capable in spurts, aren’t consistent enough to hold the line over an 82-game season.
The Clock Is Ticking on the Doncic Era
The Lakers’ inability to address these roster gaps isn’t for lack of awareness-it’s a matter of resources. The team is already down its first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 and won’t have a second-rounder until 2032.
That makes any trade deadline move a delicate balancing act. Is it worth sacrificing even more future capital to patch holes now?
That’s why the 2026 offseason looms large. It’s the most realistic window for the Lakers to retool around Doncic without mortgaging what little draft flexibility they have left. But that also means the front office has to be strategic-and aggressive-between now and then.
If the Lakers want to get the most out of the Luka Doncic era, it’s not just about hoping he can carry them. It’s about giving him the tools to succeed: shooters who can punish defenses, wings who can hold their own on the perimeter, and bigs who can protect the rim. Until those needs are met, the Lakers will continue to fall short of their championship aspirations-no matter how brilliant Doncic may be.