The NBA Isn’t Ready For The Los Angeles Lakers…

The NBA Isn’t Ready For The Los Angeles Lakers…

Yes, Lucas signed the extension, right? He’s going to be there for a while, but he also expressed that he wants to win the championship with the Lakers organization. And the key word that he put in there is that he wants to win now. The Lakers just locked in Luca Donuch through 2028, fresh off a Euro basket run where he dragged a team of no names to the quarterfinals, transformed his body, and landed on the cover of Men’s Health. They added a former number one pick in DeAndre Aton, a real seven-footer to fix an interior nightmare from the Minnesota series. And they brought in Marcus Smart, a former defensive player of the year to lock down the point of attack. This Lakers team has two top 10 players in the world and a front office that’s already planning for life after LeBron. No one’s picking them to win. No one’s talking about them in the title race, but the Lakers might be the biggest wild card in the NBA. ing up the floor. All up has the rebound up ahead. Great pass over. About time he’s going to turn to the crowd and ask him, “Are you not entertained?” The 24-25 Lakers season will always be remembered for two things. The jaw-dropping mid-season trade that landed Luca Donuch from Dallas and the letdown of a second straight first round exit. this time at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games. Now, the new look Lakers finally get what they didn’t have last year, a full training camp, and a regular season with Donic and LeBron James side by side, plus a handful of fresh additions. That means chemistry, continuity, and a real chance to elevate each other. And with LeBron about to enter an unprecedented 23rd season, the Lakers know how they need to squeeze everything they can out of this superstar window. Last year, firsttime head coach JJ Reic had his starting lineup set before training camp even began. This year, he’s keeping it wide open. I haven’t spent much time thinking about the starting lineup yet, but I feel there are seven to eight starting caliber players on the roster. Reick said, “We will know the official starters once the training camp starts.” And he’s not wrong. His second year on the sidelines comes with much tougher decisions thanks to the roster turnover since last season’s 50- win campaign. What doomed the Lakers last postseason wasn’t Donich’s shape or LeBron’s age. It was the gaping hole left after trading Anthony Davis. Minnesota owned the interior in every category, bullying LA on the glass and in the paint. So, when it came to offseason priorities, the Lakers had one clear answer. Get a real center. Enter DeAndre Aton, a 27-year-old 7-footer and former number one overall pick from the same 2018 draft as Donic. Now, Aton isn’t Anthony Davis. Davis got to the free throw line 7.6 times per game with LA, while Aon cracked seven attempts just once in 40 games last year. Davis averaged 3.4. four assists, eight top three assists only three times all season, even from three. Davis, a career-long liability, made as many triples in half a season as Aidan has in his entire 7-year career. But the point for DeAndre isn’t to be Davis. The point is size. Davis checked in at 6’10, 253 lb. Aton a clean 7T 252 lb. His job description is simple. finish plays, rebound, and protect the rim play there. Oh, look at this by dropping the sledgehammer. A replacement level big man may not sound like much, but compared to the undersized rotations the Lakers troted out last spring, it’s a massive upgrade. When you have DeAndre Aiden in pick and rolls with Austin Reeves, Luca, and LeBron, his ability to catch passes in the short role, we’ve already seen some of that in the workouts. Lakers president Rob Pelinka said he’s also a lob threat, so just adding that dimension. His size is very real. Alongside Aton, Marcus Smart might be the most intriguing addition. His defense at the point of attack is exactly what the Lakers need, and his resume speaks for itself. 2022 defensive player of the year with Boston. He could easily slot into the starting five with Luca, LeBron, Reeves, and Aton. Though Ruy Hachimura will fight for that spot, too. Smart has been off the radar the last couple of years, but the Lakers are banking on a bounce back. Marcus Smart has proven to be an elite 3 and D player at different points of his career. Pelinka said, “Our staff is working really hard with him to make sure he gets back to that form. To me, he’s always been a little bit of an underrated playmaker. The Lakers did lose Dorian Finny Smith, Luca’s close friend and one of the league’s most dependable 3 and D wings. DFS shot nearly 40% from three last year and guarded cross positions. His replacement, Jake Laravia, isn’t known for his defense, but he did knock down 42.3% from deep, albeit on just 2.2 attempts per game. Still, he’s younger, bigger, and athletic enough to give the Lakers hope he can grow into a dependable wing alongside their star core. This isn’t the LeBron centric star chasing Lakers anymore. This team was built in the film room, not just on the highlight reel. But don’t get this wrong. The most important moves this off season weren’t new signings, they were in-house decisions. In Dallas, Luca’s future was always the subject of wild trade machine rumors. In LA, there was no such doubt. He had a player option for 2026, but instead of dragging it out, Luca locked in a three-year extension worth up to 165 million, and he wasted no time setting the tone. Surrounded by teammates at his press conference, Lucas said, “I think we have a great team. We have what we need to compete for the championship. I’ll try to win every game no matter what. And we got some great new guys on the team, so you know, we’re going to go for it.” That wasn’t just talk. Luca showed up with a new body and a new mindset. He attacked conditioning, strength training, and nutrition like never before. Shedding weight and transforming his frame so dramatically. Dodge able to get downhill and gets his easiest bucket up. He even landed on the cover of men’s health. The difference in competitive basketball games was obvious. more bursts to the rim, sharper defense, and even recognition on the Euro Basket All tournament team. With training camp getting started, the Lakers see Luca’s Euro Basket run as the perfect launch pad for what’s ahead. Over the summer, he dragged the Slovenian squad, one scout said was filled with guys mostly below NCAA Division 1 level all the way to the quarterfinals of one of the toughest tournaments in the world. For Luca, it wasn’t just about international play. It was also about showing commitment to his country, but also to his new team. He admitted the grind of an 82game NBA season, the constant travel, and the emotional roller coaster of wins and losses have sometimes tested his habits, but this summer gave him a stable foundation and a sense of connection to Los Angeles. The support from the Lakers organization and Laker Nation was amazing. Luca told ESPN, “It meant so much to me that Rob, Jeanie, Kurt, Linda, and Dr. Sims came to Poland and that Lakers fans were watching Euro Basket and cheering for Slovenia.” For the Lakers front office, Luca’s performance was more than just an international highlight. It was proof that there’s no waiting period after LeBron. The Luca era has already begun. Lucas play in Euro Basket made it clear to the entire basketball world that he’s on that incredible short list of best player on the planet candidates if not at the top said Rob Pelinka. And with both Luca and LeBron on the roster, this isn’t about the future, it’s about right now. Last year when he first landed in LA, he was still reeling from the chaos in Dallas and coming off one of the longest injury absences of his career. He looked heavy, but even then he still torched teams. Now with his future secure, a franchise fully behind him, a piece of mind, and the best conditioning of his career, Luca looks scarier than ever. And the rest of the league better take notice. But here’s the catch. While the Lakers locked in on Luca, the two extensions they didn’t get done could decide whether this team becomes a dynasty or a one-star show. The weekend before the draft, the Lakers latest draft and develop success story, Austin Reeves, turned down a contract extension, an expected formality, but still a serious decision for both the guard and the only NBA organization he’s ever known. Passing on the $9 million offer was a bet on himself and the much larger payday waiting after this season. But he also knew it left him vulnerable. I thought that there was a good chance for like a week after I declined the extension that there was a possibility I’d get traded, Reeves told The Athletic in late August. I mean, it’s still a possibility. When training camp tips off, Reeves will officially start the most important season of his career, one that will determine where he’ll spend his prime and how much he’ll make, and whether the NBA’s harsh salary cap rules and the vaunted aprons will limit his ability to land a max deal. Reeves enters the season in rare company, one of just 13 players to average at least 20 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds last year. But his rough playoff series against Minnesota, one he had played through with a severe toe injury suffered in game three, left some Lakers fans questioning his role. On Lakers subreddits, trade ideas were flying all summer with fans pitching swaps for Walker Kesler, Andrew Wiggins, Trey Een, Aaron Naymith, Herb Jones, and more. Some even suggested Reeves embrace a TJ McConnell role off the bench as a spark plug. Recently, threetime Lakers champion Robert Ori said on his Big Shot Bob podcast that Reeves is too similar to Donic and that if the Lakers were smart, they’d explore a sign and trade. Reeves though believes he’s exactly where he needs to be, playing with James and Donic, playing for JJ Reic and playing in Los Angeles. After constantly shifting roles in his younger career, he enters this year with the confidence of his co-stars and his coach, even if it requires sacrifice. And then there’s a question the size of LeBron James. With James entering the final year of his Lakers contract, uncertainty around his long-term future, both with the team and in the NBA, will hang over the season until he makes a decision. For now though, the Lakers are respecting his status as an all-time great by letting him chart his own path. In the past, this franchise would have been jittery in a situation like this, but now they have Luca Donuch, a superstar ready to be the face of the franchise. This will be LeBron’s 23rd season in the NBA. At 40 years old, he’s the league’s oldest active player. Retirement is closer than ever, but James has not been clear about when he’ll step away or which team will be his last. The first thing we want to do in terms of LeBron and his future is just give him absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years he’s going to continue to play. Rob Pelinka said he’s earned that right and he’s the best one to talk to about that. In July, James picked up his $52 million player option to stay with the Lakers for an eighth season. His agent, Rich Paul, confirmed LeBron did not ask for a contract beyond this year and revealed that multiple teams had reached out to explore trades. If he does finish his career elsewhere, it’s unclear where that might be. Could it be a return to Cleveland or Miami, a shocking move to the Clippers to stay in LA, or maybe another big market franchise entirely? For now, it’s all speculation. We would love if LeBron’s story would be to retire as a Laker, said Pelinka. That would be a positive story. The thing is, LeBron hardly slowed down last season. He put up 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting a career best from the free throw line. He’s not the same explosive scorer he was at his peak, but he still has enough in the tank to be an all-star for as long as he wants to play. The Lakers also know the succession plan is already in place. Once LeBron steps away, Donic will be the franchise cornerstone. His superstardom ensures the Lakers will remain contenders long after James is gone. We were very intentional this summer in terms of the pieces we added with Luca and LeBron once LeBron opted in, making sure they had the necessary pieces around them to be on a really competitive, strong team. Pelinka said, “We built into that and for that.” One thing’s clear, LeBron is still going to be a critical piece of the Lakers won a deep playoff run. He hasn’t always been able to summon the same playoff superpowers as before, but this time, for maybe the first time since Miami, he might just have an equal at his side. If LeBron can stay on the court, the Lakers have two of the top 10 players in the NBA. Not many teams can say that. So, what does year two of the Dontage James pairing and JJ Reick’s coaching tenure actually look like? After being thrust together in a mid-season trade, Luca and LeBron had to build chemistry on the fly. The flashes were spectacular, combining for 59 assist connections in just a few months. But what happens with a full training camp and a season together? The same questions extend to Reic after a full off season of film study. How will he maximize the Donic James partnership? How will he leverage Aton’s size as a postcorer and rim protector? Can Marcus Smart stay healthy and return to form after two rough years? Will Reeves make another leap in year five and find a comfortable role alongside James and Donic? If everything clicks and the roster stays healthy, the Lakers have the firepower and even depth to punish the league for ever sleeping on them. a healthy LeBron, a locked in Luca, a hungry Reeves, add elite role players and a Western Conference with cracks starting to show. And suddenly the Lakers look less like a feel-good story and more like a problem no one wants to deal with. The question isn’t whether the NBA is ready for the Lakers, it’s whether anyone can stop them when the lights come on. Sleep on them if you want, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. 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The Los Angeles Lakers are becoming one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA, and the league might not be ready for what’s coming. In this video, we break down how the Lakers have transformed their roster with the arrival of Luka Doncic and the continued leadership of LeBron James.

Luka has taken his game to another level, reshaping his body, improving his efficiency, and proving he can dominate on the biggest stage. Paired with LeBron, who despite his age is still producing at an elite level, the Lakers now boast one of the most unstoppable duos in basketball. Add in the support of Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, and a strong supporting cast, and this Lakers squad looks built for a deep playoff run.

#LukaDoncic #LeBronJames #NBA #LosAngelesLakers