Luka Doncic has never had a problem putting up numbers. The issue, at least by the historical pattern laid out in the NBA record book, is what that workload means when the games matter most.
The Los Angeles Lakers star led the league in scoring last season at 33.5 points per game, and he’s off to another scorching start with 36.0 points per game early this season. But the deeper concern is his usage rate, which has been a recurring theme throughout his career. That kind of offensive dependence has helped make every team he’s played on dangerous, but it also comes with a warning label.
The bigger picture is ugly for high-usage stars. Over a 45-year stretch of NBA history, players who led the league in usage rate have consistently failed to win championships in those seasons. Doncic shows up on that list seven times, which is a pretty stark reminder of how much the ball runs through him.
The all-time usage-rate list is loaded with marquee names, but it’s also full of seasons that ended without a title. Russell Westbrook’s 2016-17 season sits at the top, followed by James Harden in 2018-19 and Doncic in 2026-27. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady all appear multiple times as well.
Iverson is one of the clearest examples. He came closest in 2000-01 with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that run ended with a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, who were powered by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
Bryant and Jordan are especially notable because they both won multiple championships, yet the seasons listed here weren’t title years. Jordan’s 1986-87 campaign was a monster: 82 games, 37.1 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.5 blocks, plus the league lead in field goals and free throws attempted. He made the All-Star team, earned All-NBA honors, finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and placed second in MVP voting, but the Bulls were swept in the first round.
Doncic’s 2023-24 season fits the same broad shape. It was one of his best years on paper, with 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game, plus a scoring title, an All-Star nod, All-NBA honors and a third-place finish in MVP voting. He also played alongside Kyrie Irving on the Dallas Mavericks, and that pairing helped push Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals before a loss to the Boston Celtics.
That part matters because Doncic’s lower-usage seasons have tended to produce his best team results. When another elite scorer is available to share the load, he doesn’t have to carry every possession, and that gives defenses less time to load up on him in the playoffs.
The concern for the Lakers is that the early signs aren’t exactly encouraging. Through five games, with Doncic appearing in four of them, he already leads the league in usage rate at 40.2 percent.
The current top 10 looks like this: Luka Doncic at 40.2 percent, Anthony Edwards at 37.8, Brandon Miller at 35.5, Giannis Antetokounmpo at 34.2, Stephen Curry at 33.9, Darius Acuff Jr. at 33.0, Ty Jerome at 32.8, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 32.3, and Darius Garland and Jalen Brunson tied at 31.6.
That’s why the start of this season has raised eyebrows, especially after the Lakers bogged down in the fourth quarter of their first matchup with the Clippers. Doncic is clearly the best player on the roster, but the numbers suggest he may need more help shouldering the offense.
With Austin Reaves in place as a co-star, the Lakers have options. The question is whether they’ll use them enough to ease Doncic’s burden and give themselves a better shot at real title contention.
In Other News...
Jarred Vanderbilt Suddenly Has A Lakers Opportunity He Can't Waste
The Lakers front-court picture tightened quickly ahead of their game against the Clippers, with Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams both ruled out because of injuries. With the roster suddenly thinner up front, JJ Redick said Jarred Vanderbilt could be asked to handle backup-center duty out of necessity, a notable shift for a player who has not seen the floor in the teams first four games.
For Vanderbilt, the timing is hard to miss. The nine-year veteran has spent the early part of the season on the outside looking in, but the Lakers now need bodies and versatility more than ever in the middle. Whether this turns into a short-term patch or a bigger opening depends on how he handles the chance when it arrives, and whether Redick feels comfortable leaning on him in a role that was not part of the original plan. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Fans Just Got A Wild New Lamar Odom Story
Lamar Odom is back in the spotlight in a very different way, and Lakers fans have a new off-court storyline to follow. The former NBA forward and two-time champion has joined OnlyFans, signaling that he wants to share a more personal and playful side of his life outside the game.
Rachel Bradley, Odoms girlfriend, has also signed up for the subscription-based platform, which only adds another layer of intrigue to the move. It remains to be seen whether the two will team up on content or keep their pages separate, but the setup alone has already given longtime Lakers followers plenty to talk about. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Have A Clear Chance To Punish One Lakers Weakness
Before the Clippers and Lakers even tipped off, JJ Redick was already circling one area where Los Angeles has been vulnerable: the boards. Redick talked before the game about Walker Kesslers need to tighten up his rebounding, especially on the defensive glass, a topic that carries extra weight for a Lakers team sitting at the bottom of the NBA in rebounding.
Kessler has averaged 8.2 rebounds a game this season, a career low per 36 minutes, but Redick said he sees the ability there for him to be better in that department. For the Lakers, the concern is obvious: against a Clippers team looking for any edge, second-chance chances and missed box-outs can turn into the kind of game-deciding pressure that exposes a thin margin for error. [Read more 🡒]