These Are Not The Same Lakers

These Are Not The Same Lakers

For the first time in half a decade, the Lakers are going into this season with a 26-year-old superstar. Between Luca Donuch’s brilliance, LeBron still playing like a member of the AllNBA team, and a summer of moves to sharpen up the roster, these are exciting times for basketball in LA. But what can we expect from them in 2026, and are they good enough to compete for a championship? The Lakers had themselves quite the 2025 season. With a top 10 offense and an average defense, they actually overperformed their net rating more than any other team in the league, finishing third in the West with 50 wins. Of course, we can sort of throw those metrics out of the window for this discussion because a tale of two seasons wouldn’t even begin to describe the absurdity of what took place. They were a part of the most shocking trade in NBA history, adding Luca Donuch and completely transforming the direction of the team. The thing is, it wasn’t a seamless integration, as Luca had to learn an entirely different system while still recovering from an injury. So after that point, they only had an average offense and defense with a record of 18 and 13. They were winning games, but there were still a few glaring issues. Sure, they had the top end offensive talent with Luca, Reeves, and Braun being arguably the best shot creating trio in basketball, but on the margins, the roster just simply didn’t have much of anything else. Defensively, a back court of Reeves and Luca is always going to struggle to prevent dribble penetration, so you’ll have to build around that. But without the personnel to play cleanup or protect the rim at a high level, they had to get creative with their strategy. That meant lots of switching, aggressive help, and essentially zoning up the ball at all times. It was a little gimmicky, though, and a good offensive team like the Wolves was able to poke at every hole. With the Lakers switching everything, they could handp pick the matchups they wanted Ant or Randall to attack. Then, because of the aggressive help, there was always somebody open, and they had too many knockdown three-point shooters. The Lakers tried going small for most of the series, only without a big in the paint, Minnesota absolutely feasted on the offensive glass. So, they ended up getting basically everything they wanted both in the paint and on the perimeter. The reason LA had to go small was because they only had one somewhat reliable big on the roster who wasn’t an offensive threat in any capacity outside of lobs. And without a rim running big or elite halfcourt slasher on the floor, they couldn’t put any pressure on the rim. So while the Wolves dominated the paint on one end, they completely took it away on the other. Not just with Rudy Gobear’s presence and help, but with timely switching. This especially hurt in that series because in addition to the halfcourt limitations, LA didn’t make any effort whatsoever to run in transition. So, they just ended up launching threes without the shotmaking to take advantage. Between the inconsistent scoring and lackluster defense, that series for the Lakers could simply be described as a complete two-way collapse. All of their weaknesses got exposed. They lost in a swift five games, and it became clear just how much they needed to retool for the upcoming season. Of course, that started with the addition of DeAndre Aton. After being forced to go small, now they’ve got to pick and roll big to operate alongside LA’s ball handlers. and he’s a particularly dangerous scoring threat because of his ability to pressure the defense from multiple levels. Over the last three seasons, he’s been one of the game’s best scorers, not only at the rim, but from the short mid-range and even the long mid-range. That’s thanks to an extremely rare combination of size, athleticism, and touch. He’s a legit 7-footer with a 7’6 wingspan, and he moves remarkably well for his size. He pairs that mobility with great vertical pop to get above the rim quickly, making him a big-time lob threat. Then if defenses sit way back to overplay the paint, that shooting touch makes him lethal in short roll situations. At any moment, he can step into a 50% mid-range jumper, which not only makes it tougher to protect the paint, it makes it tougher to put two on the ball because a third defender is going to have to meet the roll early, which then frees up the corners. This is where his short roll decision-making comes into play. If he catches the ball with space to drive or take an extra dribble, he can get downhill. And he’s got a good eye for recognizing help, so defenses can’t gain an advantage by simply forcing him to catch the ball in space. All that’s to say, Aton really is one of the more dynamic pick and roll bigs in the league. Sure, he lacks forcefulness and isn’t the best screener in the world, but if he’s next to a ball handler that can create advantages without a big screen and make the right decisions, he’ll thrive. And what better spot to showcase that than in LA, who’s now home to maybe the most dynamic pick and roll ball handler in NBA history. Before we get into that, I want to give a huge shout out to Factor for sponsoring this video, because this 31day series wouldn’t be possible without them. Between the time it takes to research each team and produce these videos while balancing my personal life, I just don’t have time to cook for myself. With Factor, in just a matter of two minutes, I can get a fully prepared meal on the table without worrying about preparation, cooking, or cleaning up. Just simply unbox, heat it up, and enjoy. The meals are fresh, never frozen, and there’s a ton of variety. Recently, they’ve doubled the size of their menu to 80 plus rotating weekly meals. So whether you’re craving a steak, a chicken breast, a calorie smart, or vegan option, Factor’s got you covered. For me personally, it’s bulk season, so I’ve been loving their protein plus options. And eating clean has never been easier for me since signing up for Factor, which is why I’m super excited to bring you guys a special offer. Head to factor75.com or click the link below and use code hoop venue FB50 to get 50% off plus free breakfast for a year. You heard that right. That’s code hoopenf50 atfactor75.com to get 50% off plus free breakfast for a year. When it comes to spread, pick and roll, there’s nobody who can pick apart a defense quite like Luca. That starts with his own scoring threat. In the last three seasons, no players attempted more off the dribble threes, and he’s hit them at a respectable 36% clip. So, when he’s coming off the screen, defenses have to find a way to run him off the line. Then, he’s got the size, handle, and use of pace to get wherever he wants inside the ark. From there, his touch, and shotmaking ability allow him to absolutely torch defenses in every way imaginable. The result is a three-level scoring machine. Like I said, it starts with the pull-up three-point threat, but you also can’t let him get near the paint where he’s one of the most dangerous interior finishers and short mid-range scorers we’ve ever seen. The goal of any defense against a Luca pick and roll is to get the ball out of his hands. Whether that means trapping, hedging, a high drop, just don’t let him get inside the arc with a live dribble. That’s where his vision and passing ability come into play because there quite literally isn’t a pass in existence he can’t make. He’s a top tier lob passer who’s even better at using the threat of the lob to manipulate help defenders into dropping, which then opens up the corners. It’s as simple as putting somebody who can run to the rim and be a threat next to him, and he’ll create highv value shots for his team at will. In order to capitalize, though, you’ve got to surround those two with proper spacing. LA’s catch and shoot options are a sort of a mixed bag. For the most part, both Ruie and Lravia have shown to be reliable, even though neither are super high volume. Reeves and LeBron are both going to space the floor, not only because of their own shooting threat, but what they can do off the catch. They’ve got a few guys who are willing to take the shot with volume, but aren’t always consistent in Smart, Vincent, and Cleba. And of course, there’s a shooting specialist in Dalton Connect who can step into any lineup if they desperately need it. Overall, I do think the Lakers have the resources to space the floor at a high level. And it’s not like these lineups are one-dimensional. I haven’t even talked about how LeBron’s still more than capable of creating himself, whether that’s out of pick and roll, in transition, or by attacking mismatches in the post. The same goes for Reeves. He’s a very skilled pick and roll ball handler who can score in a number of ways and create for others. Both can be used in a variety of ways off the ball as well, such as LeBron’s ability to operate like a pick and roll big. There’s so much versatility within the offense, and the ceiling is all going to come down to what version of Luca they get. As he struggled with injuries, weight, and just naturally aged, his ability to beat defenders off the dribble without a screen has slowly tapered off. For years, you could chalk him down as getting four and a half to five shots at the rim every 75 possessions with a peak in 2020 at almost seven. But these last two seasons have been the lowest volume interior scoring years of his career, only attempting about three and a half shots at the rim. That’s had a direct impact on his isolation scoring. Over the years, he developed into an all-time great isolation scorer. And while he’s still incredible, it’s slightly less efficient than a few years ago. The reason I think this is a notable difference is because during this time, he’s vastly improved his three-point and mid-range shots. So, with the same sort of rim pressure, he’d be on an even higher level. That brings me back to LA’s offensive issues against the Wolves. They switched on most screens, and he couldn’t get around defenders consistently, which is why the offense lacked rim pressure. Because he’s such an incredible shotmaker, he still produced an efficient 30 in that series. But the rest of the offense wasn’t quite as involved. Over the summer, we all saw the weight loss campaign. It looks like Luca slimmed down. He’s moving a bit lighter on his feet. Not only should that help him get some of that rim pressure back, it’ll help him stay healthy. And if he’s able to pair the young driving game with his current shotmaking and overall mastery, we could be on the verge of a peak Luca. If that’s the case, I think LA could have the best offense in the NBA or very close to it. It’s the other side of the ball where I’m not quite as confident. To Aton’s credit, when he was in a competitive environment, he showed the ability to defend at a pretty high level. His length, verticality, and mobility help him execute various pick-and- roll coverages. And while effort, and consistency have always been question marks, throughout preseason, he’s been very committed to that end of the floor. With that said, he’s far from a one-man paint defense in the way guys like WBY or Gobear are. In order to get the best out of him, you’ve got to surround him with guys who can navigate screens and contain the ball. Like I said earlier though, a back court of Luca and Reeves is going to struggle to prevent dribble penetration. So, you also have to surround those guys with point of attack defenders. At this point, LeBron is still a very smart team defender who’s going to make the right rotations behind the play. He’s also got the strength to match up with powerful creators, especially at the three and the four. However, he lacks the agility to step out and pick up quicker guards or wings, which leaves one vacant spot in their lineup to fill that role. If we go back to the catch and shoot graphic for a second, there’s one guy I deliberately didn’t talk about, and that’s Jared Vanderbilt, who doesn’t really take threes at all. He isn’t just a complete non-shooter, though. He’s a complete non-scoring threat from every area of the floor who’s also pretty clearly the team’s most versatile defender. He can match up with any position as his length, agility, and motor just jump off the screen whenever he’s in the game. But the only way to get him on the court is to abandon the spread pick and roll setup, which then takes away a ton of what makes LA great on offense. I think that’s why they brought in Marcus Smart over the summer. When he’s been on the court, he still has the ability to pressure the ball, navigate screens, and switch on to multiple positions. Whether he’s defending the ball or not though, he’s just a very high IQ defensive player who knows where to be at all times and can make a ton of different plays. On offense, he’s not a great shooter, so it isn’t ideal, but at the very least, he isn’t afraid to take them with volume and can occasionally get hot, which is a big difference from Vando. Also, he’s a solid connective passer who’s comfortable putting the ball in the deck and extending advantages. So, there is some semblance of two-way play. The problem is that he’s played 54 games over the past two seasons combined, so health is a gamble. And there’s also the size aspect of things because in order to fit him into a starting or closing five, you’re giving up size on the interior, which makes the team that much more reliant on Aton. I think that’s why they value Ruie so much. He’s big and he can hit threes efficiently, which sounds like an ideal four until it’s time to defend on the perimeter, which just isn’t something he can do at a high level. The only guy on the roster who can hit threes, keep up size in the front court, and defend the ball is Jake Lorravia. So, I think he’ll be a bigger part of the rotation than most realize. With that said, he doesn’t excel in any one area and is far from solving all of LA’s defensive issues. Across the board, the rotation just seriously lacks lineup versatility, which is kind of the name of the game in the playoffs. If they go with Vincent or Smart for point of attack defense, they’re losing size and spacing. If they go with Ruie or Laravia for size and spacing, they’re losing point of attack defense. If they go with Connect to go allin on offense, they’re not getting any stops. And if they go with Vando to go allin on defense, they’re losing their offensive identity. I actually think the front court defense is mostly fine. Aton and Hayes is a solid fiveman rotation while they have the flexibility to go small if needed with Braun, Ruie, Vando, or Lorravia. It’s just that of their core four, not a single one of them is a plus on ball defender. So, it would take a Draymond Green type defensive player to make it work deep in the playoffs. For that reason, I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up closing a lot of games without Reeves. Obviously, his offense is a huge boost, but if you can get Smart and Lavia in the lineup, all of a sudden, we’re looking at a much better two-way balance. Either way, the roster is just limited because of the tough lineup choices. The offense checks almost every box, and if they go allin like the Suns did back in the 2000s, they might even be able to beat most teams by simply outgunning them. They just simply don’t have the ability to field out strong two-way lineups in the way other contenders can. Along with LeBron’s injury to start the season, I think they’ll be in play for 50 wins, but I wouldn’t bet on it. And come playoff time, I don’t really see a pathway to the finals with how stacked the top of the Western Conference is. It’s not like this year is championship or bust, though. Luca already signed his extension and is under contract until 2030 where he’ll still only be 30 years old. So, these next few years are all about filling out the roster around him. I think they already started moving in the right direction with the Aon Loravia and Smart signings. Who knows what a championship core in LA looks like though and whether it involves LeBron or Reeves. What we do know is they’ve got an all-time great offensive engine in the heart of his prime and we’re about to enter a new era of Lakers basketball.

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The Los Angeles Lakers have started the process of building around their 26-year old superstar Luka Doncic. But are they good enough to compete for a championship?

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