With nine new players and modest expectations from NBA executives, the Los Angeles Lakers will rely on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to lead their championship push as the new season begins.
The Los Angeles Lakers enter the new NBA season facing uncertainty on several fronts. Nine players are new to the roster, an ownership change is pending and two formidable teams are expected to lead the Western Conference.
Yet the Lakers have retained a key source of stability: the partnership between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The pair went 30-11 in games played together last season. In 1,092 minutes on the court together, line-ups featuring both players outscored opponents by 8.9 points per 100 possessions, giving the team a strong offensive foundation despite the wider changes to its roster.
“They’re always, like, playing chess out there,” guard Collin Sexton said of the duo, praising their ability to anticipate plays and put teammates in positions to succeed.
Their chemistry was particularly effective in March last season, when the Lakers went 15-2. Doncic scored 600 points during the month despite missing one game through suspension, while Reaves averaged 5.8 assists. LeBron James, serving as the team’s third offensive option, helped make the trio a formidable force.
The momentum ended when Doncic and Reaves were injured in the same game, disrupting a run that had strengthened the Lakers’ position in the Western Conference.
Doncic later said he regretted returning to the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder after feeling a twinge in his hamstring. The injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
“I thought we had a team that could compete for a championship,” Doncic said during training camp. “So I was kind of disappointed, kind of let the team down, so it’s definitely motivating for this season.”
Reaves also endured an injury-hit campaign. An oblique injury limited him to 51 games, a career low, and disrupted his hopes of earning his first All-Star selection. He returned during the playoffs but struggled to regain his consistency.
Determined to improve his durability, Reaves hired former Lakers head strength and conditioning coach Ed Streit to work with him. The move reflects his growing importance to the team after years spent developing behind established stars such as James and Anthony Davis.
Reaves signed the richest contract ever for an undrafted player this offseason, with Doncic among his most vocal supporters. The two had discussed extending their partnership before the season ended, Reaves said.
Their relationship was not guaranteed when Doncic arrived in Los Angeles following his unexpected trade from Dallas. Initially quiet, the Slovenian has since developed a close bond with Reaves, built around their creative approach to basketball, competitive instincts and shared love of golf.
Above all, both players are focused on winning.
“At the end of the day, we care about winning,” Reaves said, “and that’s all that matters.”
Low expectations, high ambitions
Despite the duo’s potential, the Lakers are not among the leading favourites in the annual survey of NBA general managers published by NBA.com.
The survey placed Los Angeles sixth in the Western Conference rankings, with the team receiving 10% of fourth-place votes and just 1% of the total points available.
The San Antonio Spurs emerged as the leading choice in the West, collecting 53% of the available first-place points. The Oklahoma City Thunder were close behind, with 34% of the total points, leaving the two teams as the conference’s leading contenders in the survey.
Their strength raises the prospect of another Western Conference finals meeting between the two teams. However, the NBA’s competitive balance means the outlook could change quickly if injuries or other setbacks affect the leading contenders.
The Lakers may not be considered favourites, but general managers appear uncertain about their potential. In a separate survey question asking which team’s success would be hardest to predict this season, Los Angeles received the third-highest number of votes.
That uncertainty leaves room for the Lakers to outperform expectations if Doncic and Reaves remain healthy and the revamped roster develops quickly.
For Doncic, however, the objective is clear. Asked about his ambitions on media day, he set the bar at the highest level.
“Realistically, I would say championship,” he said. “If that’s not your goal, I don’t know what you’re doing here.”
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