luka doncic

Austin Reaves described it as “fun.” Luka Doncic called the Lakers’ effortless-looking offense as “flowing.” And this is still the early stages of development for a team that brought in nine new players.

Through eight games, the Lakers have the most dynamic offense in the NBA. Led by Doncic, the Lakers are second in scoring with 122.5 points per game and first in offensive rating with 121.9 points per 100 possessions. The starting lineup of Doncic, Reaves, Walker Kessler, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle has a league-best 135.5 offensive rating among five-man groups that have played at least 40 minutes together entering Wednesday’s game at Sacramento.

“Everything’s as expected,” guard Quentin Grimes said Monday after the Lakers hung 138 points in a 21-point win over the Miami Heat. “Winning, everybody’s getting involved, everybody’s making the right play, getting a lot of assists.”

The Lakers (6-2) had 39 assists against the Heat, the most during JJ Redick’s head-coaching tenure. Doncic is on a historic scoring binge; he is the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to have five consecutive games of 35 or more points. While putting up a seemingly ho-hum 42 points against Miami, he also had a season-high 13 assists.

“It’s a really good offense that we’re playing right now,” Redick said. “And a lot of that, of course, is Doncic and what he’s able to do and bend the defense.”

Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer at 38.3 points per game, does his damage early. He typically plays all 12 minutes of the opening quarter and leads the league with 15 points a game in the first quarter. Once he gets his shot going, teams send double teams to force the ball out of his hands. That’s when Doncic can be particularly dangerous.

Doncic has always been lauded for his superior court vision. But the Lakers are still learning to see the same picture. The Lakers had 14 turnovers, including 11 from Doncic and Reaves, during a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, who were aggressively trapping the Lakers’ ballhandlers. The Lakers threw away a 25-point second-quarter lead on Oct. 30 when the Golden State Warriors ratcheted up the ball pressure.

Doncic’s five turnovers a game are the second most in the league, and Reaves is third with 4.6 turnovers per game.

Some players are new to being on a team with guards who get blitzed nearly every play, Reaves said. It requires players to not only be comfortable making decisions to pass, drive or shoot, but they have to choose quickly. A moment’s hesitation gives away the four-on-three advantage created by the double-team.

Redick praised Grimes’ ability to keep advantages by driving decisively. Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili is also great at it, Redick said, as is guard Collin Sexton, who knows no speed other than full. The Lakers have also finished their advantages with Thybulle and Williams making27 of 58 (46.6%) three-point attempts combined.

“That’s the beauty of our team,” Williams said. “You could put different guys at different spots and everyone’s able to make a play. All our guys are just dynamic and versatile. And everyone just wants to make the right play. No one wants to only shoot, there’s no egos. And that’s the fun part about it, you know? We all love to see each other succeed.”

Williams missed three games because of a sore left foot but returned Monday with nine points, two rebounds and two assists off the bench. When Jake LaRavia jumped into the starting lineup, the Lakers were just as effective offensively as their first-choice lineup. When Doncic, Reaves, Kessler, Thybulle and LaRavia are together, the Lakers’ 144.3 points per 100 possessions ranks first among lineups that have played at least 30 minutes.

Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo reaches through the hoop to block a reverse dunk by Lakers center Walker Kessler on Monday night.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

But numbers don’t normalize until about 250 minutes, Redick believes.

“I think there’s always room for improvement,” he said Monday.

The Lakers have the most room for improvement on the defensive side. Their defensive rating of 114 points allowed per 100 possessions is tied with the Clippers for 20th in the NBA. They still rank 28th in rebounding, despite three consecutive double-doubles from Kessler, who responded after Redick challenged the center to be a larger rebounding presence.

“This team can become a great team,” Redick said before Monday’s win over the Heat. “That requires patience, that requires a lot of coaching and teaching and buy-in, and so that whole process takes time.”

With nine new players on the roster still working on maximizing their on-court chemistry, the Lakers are taking a patient approach to the start of the NBA season.

For now, it looks as if they’re fine with following Luka Doncic‘s lead.

The Lakers’ star had another sensational performance, finishing with 45 points in a 131-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night.

Doncic was key in helping the Lakers build a 26-point lead in the third quarter. He shot 12 for 23 on the night, going eight for 12 from three-point range. He made all of his 13 free throws and also had 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Not bad for 35 minutes of work on Doncic bobblehead giveaway night.

And his teammates did follow his lead, with Austin Reaves collecting 19 points and Walker Kessler producing a double-double with 16 points on six-for-six shooting and 15 rebounds to go along with three blocks. Collin Sexton came off the bench to score 14 points. Rookie Cameron Carr played his first game of the season, but he didn’t score.

The Lakers were sloppy with the basketball, turning it over 22 times. Scottie Barnes finished with 29 points and six rebounds for Toronto (3-3).

In the eyes of Lakers coach JJ Redick, each game the Lakers (5-2) play is a step in a process aimed at becoming a championship-contending team.

“Frankly, this entire season is about becoming a great team,” Redick said. “Like, we believe we can become a great team and I think as coaches, players, we all have to participate in patience with that. Doesn’t mean you allow things to happen and say, ‘Oh, that’s fine. That’s OK.’ No. No. No. You address those things. I think the guys are very, very open to that dialogue, both with each other and with the coaching staff.”

Lakers star Luka Doncic prevents the ball from going out of bounds in front of Toronto forward Scottie Barnes during the first half Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Scott Strazzante / Associated Press)

Doncic is certainly doing his part to bring a championship mood to L.A. He made a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left before halftime to give the Lakers a 66-54 lead. He blew a kiss to the fans and waved his hand toward them, prompting cheers from the crowd.

The Lakers play the Miami Heat at home Monday night.

Injury update

Ziaire Williams missed his third consecutive game, but Redick said a scan on the forward’s ailing left foot was “clean.”

“I would describe it [as] soreness that just pops up in the morning and he’s feeling a lot better,” Redick said. “I think just being, again, cautious with the back to back.”

Lakers scoring phenom Luka Doncic missed his first game of the young season with back tightness, leaving a giant hole in their offense with the NBA’s leading scorer (36 points per game) sitting out.

Lakers defensive star Ziaire Williams also missed his first game with left foot soreness, leaving them even more depleted with two starters unable to play.

The Lakers added a lot of depth over the summer in case of injury situations and now it was going to be tested against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

Collin Sexton is one of the players the Lakers acquired for a moment like Wednesday, and he delivered in a big way, coming off the bench to provide energy and effort in helping the Lakers take a 103-87 victory over the Clippers.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get his attention because he gets locked in, he gets in the zone,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Sexton. “I love the competitive fire.”

Sexton was at his best in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 21 points, flexing and pounding his chest after a made basket. His play helped the Lakers open a 22-point lead they never lost.

He was four for five from the field in the third, six for 11 for the game. He was two for three from three-point range in the third, four for seven for the game. He also had four rebounds and two assists.

His intensity was on display during a moment when Sexton glared and snared at Clippers guard Cam Christie.

“Honestly, I would say when I step between those lines, it’s us against them,” Sexton said. “I’m going to do whatever my team needs for me. I feel like I turn into a different person when it’s time to go. And I think my teammates know that, so they try to talk to me a little bit, but they know I’m in the zone and ready to go to war. And that’s how I look at it. Whenever I step between those lines, it’s war time. So, that’s how I look at it, for sure.”

Quentin Grimes (23 points), Matisse Thybulle (15) and Austin Reaves (16 points) did their part to help the Lakers improve to 4-1.

Doncic and Williams played against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, but they couldn’t go in the back-to-back game.

“Both those guys woke up with some soreness and tightness today — tightness for Luka, soreness for Ziaire,” Redick said. “We have a tough stretch of games. Not a lot of time between [games so] just being overly cautious.”

The Lakers next play at the Golden State Warriors on Friday, their fourth game in six days.

Redick was asked if Doncic and Williams would be available for that game.

“That’s the hope,” he said.

Redick turned to Jarred Vanderbilt, who didn’t play in the first four games, and Jaden Hardy, who played in the first game of the season, to help the shorthanded Lakers in their time of need. Vanderbilt played 21 minutes and had seven rebounds. Hardy played nine minutes and had two points.

“Vando’s always going to play hard,” Redick said. “He’s always going to impact the game with just his effort, and I thought he did that tonight.

The Clippers, however, have their own injuries to worry about.

Clippers forward Rui Hachimura (left quad soreness) missed his first game of the season, joining Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), Jordan Miller (left rotator cuff surgery), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right lisfranc surgery) and Max Strus (right plantar fascia partial tear) on the injury report.

The Lakers signed center Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract Wednesday and waived two-way forward AK Okereke.

You don’t like Luka Doncic’s attitude.

I love it.

You think the Lakers star whines too much. All the complaining to officials kills you. If there were a suggestion box, you’d follow Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and lodge a complaint.

You do whatever you want; I’m not offended by any of it.

You are not entertained. You don’t like the demonstrative way he waves off calls. You hate how he’ll belabor a point for possessions at a time — as he did, per usual, in Friday’s not-particularly pretty 125-117 victory over the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers improved to 2-0 and Doncic had 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists and, if you’re looking to complain, a career high-tying 11 turnovers.

But me? I am entertained — endlessly. As long as Luka’s list of grievances is long.

Because Doncic is a maniac. Not a mad man, a madman. And a reminder that these millionaires are playing a child’s game, because no one relishes it with quite the joy and verve and passion and emotion and occasional tantrum like Doncic does.

He’s someone who arrived onstage, talented beyond his years. He’s also a toddler.

He couldn’t change if he wanted to, but would you really want him to?

There’s no slicing and dicing without a sufficiently sharp edge.

And I get it. Opposing fans — and their teams’ general managers, whose preseason survey answers about this season’s prospective MVP candidates excluded Doncic in favor of Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokić, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum — are not supposed to appreciate Luka’s lip.

But if you’re a Lakers fan, you have to know you can’t take out the trash talk from Doncic’s game. You can’t ask him nicely to clean up his mess, man. Petty isn’t going to be pretty. And everyone can get it — including, once, the reporters on press row covering Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks. “You can’t guard me!” he screamed at us, ridiculously.

You have to let him cook, your very own basketball anarchist.

Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts during a win over the Clippers on Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“He’s always going to play with an edge,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “As long as he’s not causing the other team to have a five-on-four transition opportunity, it doesn’t bother me.”

And if he’s not toeing the line on a late-season suspension triggered by a 16th technical foul, his antics probably wouldn’t bother Lakers fans, either.

“This season, I’m trying to not get techs,” Doncic said after Wednesday’s season-opening victory against the Warriors, when he and Lendeborg mixed it up. “It was the first time that was not a double tech, ’cause I didn’t say nothing. So I’m working on it.”

It isn’t that Doncic busies himself with the refs because he’s lazy and doesn’t want to get back on defense — do you know how much stamina it takes to keep up a marathon-length running dialogue? How exhausting it has to be to litigate every little thing, to be so constantly aggrieved?

It’s a special part of his special skill set; put him in the top 1% in the world of complainers. If he wasn’t one of the world’s top 1% of hoopers, imagine him in court instead of on the court; he’d be a bulldog: Objection! Objection! Objection!

The man is a rascal, but he’s not a villain. Everything he does is with a wink-wink twinkle in his eye.

He never shuts up on the court, but he’s a man of few words off of it, low-key and community-minded and in the top 1% of patient autograph-givers. A generous teammate to whom good vibes matter much.

But he’s an absolute menace to compete against and, yes, to officiate.

So, kids, don’t try this at home. At least not during a basketball game. Don’t show that energy to the refs, who deserve your respect. As do your teachers and your coaches and your parents or guardians.

But do keep that energy. You’re not going to get what you want in life unless you advocate — agitate — for it. Put pressure on powers that be. Ask for explanations — demand them. Because it’s true, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Being pushy works, even if it won’t win you popularity contests. The GMs left Doncic off their predictive MVP list for a reason. He finished fourth in MVP voting last season and has never been higher than third in his eight NBA seasons.

That’s largely a reflection of where the Lakers placed last season — fourth. And where they’re expected to finish this season; there are 12 teams with better odds to win the title, according to DraftKings.

But it probably has more to do with voters’ appetite for discussion, the type of heated debate that offends the sensibilities of so many — even though that mayhem is a crucial ingredient of Luka’s magic. Just sit back and relax. Enjoy the show.

SALT LAKE CITY — Luka Doncic raised three fingers toward the Utah crowd. Fans were left counting more than just his points.

Doncic hit three clutch three-pointers late in the fourth quarter and took a momentum-swinging charge to lead the Lakers to a nail-biting 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Delta Center. Doncic led the Lakers (3-0) with 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the team fought back from an 18-point second-quarter deficit.

Guard Austin Reaves hit a dagger three with 34 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. As Doncic salted the game away from the free-throw line, he was serenaded with chants of “MVP!” Reaves finished with 29 points.

“Getting MVP chants in someone else’s arena is crazy,” center Walker Kessler said. “But, you know, obviously deserving.”

Kessler knows this arena well. It’s where he spent the first four years of his career. But the center was quiet in his return to Salt Lake City. After he joined the Lakers in a massive sign-and-trade deal that cost the Lakers two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps and a four-year, $130-million contract, Kessler was held to just two points on one-of-two shooting with seven rebounds.

Kessler received a mixed reception from the crowd, which included a large number of fans in Lakers colors. The Jazz didn’t play a highlight reel during the game to welcome the center back, as many teams often do for a player who returns on an opposing team.

Kessler had averaged 24 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the Lakers’ first two games and shot a blazing 84.6% from the field while feasting off lob passes from Doncic and Reaves.

When asked whether Kessler’s return would spark extra motivation for the Jazz, Utah coach Will Hardy dispelled any suggestions of revenge.

“In no way is tonight about Walker,” Hardy said. “Like it’s not a, ‘Oh wow Walker’s here so we better play harder.’ We’re gonna demand the same standard that we did in our last game. Some of the story lines I don’t quite understand. Like we have a lot of love for Walker. He’s somebody that we have a great relationship with and a lot of shared experience.”

Kessler admitted he “let my emotions get the best of me” in his return Utah, which he described as “a special place.”

“Kind of got too amped and then just couldn’t find the ball,” Kessler said. “Couldn’t find the rhythm, just kind of was off a couple fouls that were tough, a couple blocks I usually [make]. It’s one of those nights. But fortunately basketball is not a one-man sport.”

The Lakers showed they have one of the best duos in the league.

Reaves was held scoreless during the first quarter, but awoke for 15 points in the second. The undrafted guard has so far lived up to the massive contract extension he signed in June, averaging 26.7 points per game on 63.9% shooting with 6.2 assists per game.

“AR so far in these three games has just been Mr. Consistency,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

Reaves started the comeback. Doncic completed it. In less than 30 seconds, Doncic watched a fadeaway jumper circle the rim before dropping through for a three-point play, then ripped the ball out of Ace Bailey’s arms for a steal before hitting a three at the buzzer to put the Lakers up by three at halftime.

The Slovenian superstar was coming off an admittedly “terrible” game in which he had 23 points, seven assists and 11 turnovers in the Lakers’ home win over the Clippers. Redick said Doncic is still finding his rhythm after not playing with the Slovenian national team over the summer as he typically does.

Doncic made just two of his first eight three-point attempts Sunday. He looked right back in rhythm when he splashed the tying three with 4:06 remaining in the fourth quarter and pushed his palms toward the ground to quiet the crowd.

The final shot before halftime showed Redick that Doncic has his groove back.

“When he’s in the flow state, he gets into, like, showman mode,” Redick said. “He’s on stage performing … it’s always really fun to watch.”

Doncic gave the friendly road crowd his best moves. Lying on his back watching one his shots roll through the net, he shimmied his shoulders before teammates pulled him to his feet. When he splashed the tying three with 4:06 remaining in the fourth, he wagged his finger. On the next possession, he let out a scream when he stepped in front of Keyonte George to take a charge. After putting the Lakers up by six with 1:40 remaining with one of his signature step-back threes, Doncic held three up three fingers to the crowd.

Doncic went nearly seven months without hearing that roar. Not playing with the national team left him out of competition for one of the longest stretches of his career. He doesn’t think he’s back to full form yet.

“I’m still getting there honestly,” Doncic said. “This is the first time I didn’t play basketball in six or seven months, which is a long time. So I’m not used to it.”

He still looked right at home hearing “MVP” chants from a road crowd.

Two former teammates sized each other up. Luka Doncic waved off the screen. He wanted the matchup with Rui Hachimura. The crowd at Crypto.com Arena buzzed in anticipation.

Doncic smiled wide.

After four years in which he became a staple in the Lakers’ lineup, Hachimura returned to face his former team for the first time as a Clipper on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. The forward got a warm greeting from the fans, who welcomed him in the starting lineup with a loud roar. The Lakers played a video tribute during the first timeout to honor Hachimura’s four years with the franchise.

But as he started piling up his 16 points in the Lakers’ 125-117 win over their crosstown rival, the crowd started to turn on the sharp-shooting Hachimura.

“Traitor!” one fan yelled when he hit a shot during a tight first half before the Lakers pulled away by outscoring the Clippers 39-26 in the third quarter.

Hachimura, who left the Lakers in free agency, made his love for the team clear. He signed a relatively conservative two-year, $28-million deal with the Clippers, turning down other offers in part because he wanted to stay in L.A.

“It was amazing,” Hachimura said of his time with the Lakers. “I had a great time with them. The organization, yeah, of course I miss them, but it was time to move on. It was special, my four years, four seasons with them. I’m happy with the Clippers right now, and I gotta keep growing my career.”

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said playing the first game back in an old arena can be disorienting. He experienced it after leaving the Lakers, who drafted him in 1998, and returning with the Washington Wizards in 2002. He had never seen the other locker room in his former home arena.

“Just being on the other side, the other bench, in the other locker room, it was just really weird,” Lue said. “And then playing against guys that kind of taught you the game, kind of molded you as a player, and just sitting across from it, it was really weird for me.”

Hachimura jokingly walked toward the Lakers locker room before the game. Before beginning his pregame shooting routine, Hachimura hugged Lakers assistant Beau Levesque, who was Hachimura’s player development coach, and Lakers guard Austin Reaves, one of his closest friends.

Clippers forward Rui Hachimura, right, guards Lakers guard Luka Doncic in the first half Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

When Hachimura was traded to the Lakers in January 2023, Reaves was in his second season with the Lakers. While they became close, Reaves initially spent weeks thinking Hachimura didn’t speak English.

“I’d sit by him on the plane and he didn’t speak to me,” Reaves said this week. “After that, I couldn’t get him to shut up. Great guy, great player and I miss him.”

Hachimura developed into one of the Lakers’ most dependable shooters. A 35.6% three-point shooter while with Washington, where he was drafted ninth overall in 2019, Hachimura shot 44.3% from three during his last season with the Lakers. Lakers coach JJ Redick marveled at Hachimura’s reliable mid-range game that he once compared to “prime Michael Jordan.”

During the playoffs, when the injury-riddled Lakers stunned the Houston Rockets in the first round before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, Hachimura shot a sizzling 56.9% (15 for 31) from three. His career 51.6% postseason three-point shooting percentage is the highest in NBA history.

Hachimura filled a supporting role with the Lakers, where he was overshadowed by Reaves, Doncic and LeBron James. But with the Clippers, he has a leading opportunity. Hachimura had the second-most shot attempts among Clippers players Friday, going five for 14 from the field and three for six from three.

Facing different defenses than he saw while being the Lakers’ fourth offensive option, Hachimura’s efficiency has dipped. He is shooting 29.6% from the field and 38.5% from three while averaging 13 points and seven rebounds for the Clippers (0-2).

“I think understanding some of the actions we’re trying to run from him, like being quicker, being faster, not allowing guys to get back to his body so he can come off open, and just timing things,” Lue said of how Hachimura can adjust to being a focal point of an opposing team’s scouting report. “Little timing things here and there. We know when it’s post up, teams are doubling. So he has to find a way in transition, playing faster, attacking early, attacking faster in transition, but we’ll get him shots.”

During pregame warmups, Doncic sprinted out of the Lakers tunnel and straight to Hachimura, who was warming up in the corner. Doncic wrapped his former teammate in a hug. They laughed and joked all the way to midcourt before Hachimura resumed his shooting.

When the game started, Hachimura hit his first three over Doncic, who was late to close out. The Lakers star waved his hand in mock disgust toward Hachimura.

“I don’t like Rui,” Doncic said after the game.

A wide smile spread across his face.

“Nah, it was just great to see him. He’s my guy.”

Their face is gone, LeBron James getting kicked to a Philly curb.

Their voice is gone, longtime public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dying last month at age 76 after more than four decades of dulcet downtown tones.

A big piece of their heart is also gone, Jeanie Buss mired in an ugly court fight to maintain her last remaining sliver of influence in the wake of this summer’s sale to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.

Meet the 2026-27 Lakers, a team that will look different, sound different, feel different, play different and behave different from their recent predecessors in every way but one.

They’re still not winning a championship.

They’re still not getting to the conference finals.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic enters this season as the face of the franchise after LeBron James’ departure.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

They’re still destined to a sixth seed and a first-round knockout in the impossible West, a mediocre finish that is sure to convince new ownership to make massive changes — look out Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick! — and start all over again next season.

So call this a gap year.

They’ve graduated from LeBron, but they’re still not quite sure what they want to do with the rest of their life.

They’re planning on majoring in Luka Doncic, minoring in Austin Reaves and specializing in Walker Kessler, but there are flaws in all three, and the rest of the proposed curriculum is an unknown collection of ideas that have yet to be put together in a cogent package.

For now, the league’s biggest roster overhaul includes names that are just names, the likes of Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney. Who knows where they will fit? Who knows what they can do?

Noticeably missing are the names Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, all decent contributors last season, and that’s too bad.

Then there’s the name Bronny James, whose future here took a nosedive when his pops moved to Philadelphia and he had a lousy training camp. Who knows how long Bronny will stick around, but at least the Lakers are out of the LeBron family drama business, which is good, because this team will create enough drama on its own.

First, there’s Doncic, and the risk in building around him, considering he’s missed an average of 20 games a season the last three years. He’s appeared in a total of five playoff games since leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals three years ago. He’s 27, but sometimes he trudges around the court like he’s 50.

Lakers guard Bronny James dribbles during a preseason game against the Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 8.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

Now that this is Doncic’s team, will he act like it?

Every centerpiece player in Laker history — from Mikan to West to Kareem to Magic to Kobe to Shaq to Pau to LeBron — has carried their group to a championship. They’ve not been considered a true Laker until they have done so. In the case of LeBron, one was not even enough.

Is Doncic prepared to shoulder this burden? He says yes. He says he’s done this before, although he’s never won an NBA title, so, um …

“It feels great,” he told reporters at media day last month. “Obviously, it’s a new challenge. I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me. But I feel great. I feel excited, and like I said, I’m ready to go. It’s been a long time since I played basketball, so I’m ready.”

He got off to a good start this summer when he flew the team to his native Slovenia to spend a few days bonding. He is already acting like a captain. Now he needs to play every day like one.

“I see myself in this role, nothing new, but it’s very important,” Doncic said. “Everybody on the whole team, you know, look up to me, I have to look up to them. And it’s just, there should be many leaders, you know. You should be able to hold each other accountable.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves dribbles past the Kings’ Nique Clifford during a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 8.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

Many leaders? Probably only two, Doncic and his newly minted $180-million running mate Reaves.

The Lakers were 30-11 when the two gunners were on the court last season, and no NBA duo averaged more points, but, again, this year is different.

Last year they both had LeBron as a safety net. This year, it’s all on them.

Just like Doncic, Reaves said he is ready to help guide his new teammates on this arduous journey.

“The expectation here of being a Laker is higher than it is anywhere in the world,” Reaves said. “The media presence, you know, every day something is going to come out about us, and just being able to know how to navigate that and help others navigate that is the main thing. One second we’re going to be the best team in the world. And the next you lose two in a row, you’re the worst team, you can’t figure it out. So, helping these guys understand that none of that really matters, it’s all about what goes on within these walls, is the main thing.”

Actually, for Reaves, the main thing is the postseason, where he has mightily struggled, even taking into account the slight guard usually enters each spring with all sorts of bumps and bruises. He’s been a lousy playoff shooter. He’s been a clumsy playoff playmaker.

But one of the greatest undrafted free agents in recent league history appreciates and embraces every chance to change the narrative, and he’ll have no greater chance than this season.

“You’re going to have failures within this long season,” he said. “But every single night you’re going to have an opportunity when you take the floor, especially for this organization, for this fan base to show the world what you’re capable of. So, you’re going to have every single opportunity to do good with the opportunities that you’re given.”

No Laker, it seems, will have a greater nightly opportunity to write his legacy than Kessler, who was acquired this summer from the Utah Jazz for the princely sum of two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.

He is being projected as a perfect lob and pick-and-roll partner for Doncic and a long-awaited rim protector, but let’s be real.

He played in five games last year and never started a full season in his four years in Utah and even for a perpetually tanking team, that’s not a big resume. What sort of NBA center he will be is anybody’s guess.

The Lakers are guessing huge, and at least he sounds like he’s ready for it.

Laker Walker Kessler fouls the Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg during a preseason game on Oct. 13 in Las Vegas, Nev.

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

“And as far as the belief that they’ve shown in me, I mean, it makes me excited for this year,” he said. “It makes me feel like I can run through the wall for this organization, this team, my teammates, so yeah, I’m just so excited.”

Good thing about that wall, because with this unsettled bunch, there will be plenty of them.

But, hey, at least one looming question has been answered. During media day, new power forward Mamukelashvili gracefully explained how to pronounce his last name.

“So, a lot of people think it’s hard, but I don’t think so,” he said. “It is Mamu-kela-shvili. So if you take like, I feel like, two letters at a time, and “shvili” at the end, it’s not that hard.”

If only the rest of this season would go so smooth.

He is unwavering in his belief that the newly constructed Lakers can compete for an NBA championship this season and that is the conviction coach JJ Redick has instilled into his group.

It is why the Lakers play the game, Redick mused, and it is the standard this organization has set.

The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships — the second most in the league — with the last coming in 2020.

So, as the Lakers prepared to open the regular season Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, Redick explained why he believes these Lakers are championship contenders.

“Well, I think that every season,” he said. “Unless somebody blatantly tells me that we’re not trying to win, I think that every year. That’s why I say I’m confident. I said the same thing last year and for all of January and February that we were going to figure it out at some point and we did. And then we had some injuries. So, being a championship-level team or being a — I don’t like the word ‘contender’ — but being a team that can make a run and can play in the playoffs and can play different ways in the playoffs, those things take time and it doesn’t mean you’re going to be in the NBA Finals.

“It’s just not the way this works, particularly with the way the playoffs work in terms of just matchups and what you can exploit and what you can’t exploit versus certain teams. But I think because of our talent, because of our fit, because of our depth, I really like our team.”

Luka Doncic said his first glimpse of what the Lakers could become was when he invited his teammates to his home country of Slovenia for a bonding experience.

As the unquestioned leader of the Lakers now that LeBron James has departed to Philadelphia, Doncic organized the trip. It was basketball, golfing and rowing. It was dinners and get-to-know-you conversations.

It was over these four or five days in August that Doncic also saw a Lakers team with championship potential.

“Since the first day. That simple,” Doncic said. “Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia, I believed that we can win a championship.”

Yet this is a team with nine new players and Redick is trying to incorporate them on a Lakers team that is playing in the uber-tough Western Conference that most experts believe the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are the creme de la creme of the NBA.

The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler, a 7-foot-2 center they received from Utah in a sign-and-trade deal in which he was paid $130 million over four years and in which L.A. sent two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round swaps to the Jazz.

Lakers center Walker Kessler tries to block a shot by Warriors center Yaxel Lendeborg during a preseason game last week.

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

The Lakers added depth in Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney.

They join Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero and others to form the 2026-27 Lakers.

“I think in terms of integrating all the new guys that have been available, which I think is everybody except for Collin in live play, it’s been pretty seamless,” Redick said. “It’s a smart group. … We’ve been able to probably install more, particularly on the defensive end, than we have in the last couple years.

“Last year we had six total practices in the preseason because of the amount of games and the back-to-backs and the travel and all that. And we played opening night, so that’s another day that we didn’t get to practice. So I think we end up with 12 [practices] this year. We get double the amount of practice time, so I think that’s a blessing when you have new guys.”

The starting five is still unclear.

Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are the sure things, but the other two spots are not certain. Those three started alongside Williams and Thybulle in the final preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Grimes started the first four preseason games.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, bring the ball upcourt under pressure from Nuggets guard Christian Braun their final preseason game on Friday.

(Ben Liebenberg / Associated Press)

“I think we have a lot of guys that could start,” Reaves said. “Unfortunately there’s five guys that are gonna start. Like JJ said a while back, he’s pretty sure of three of them. The other two, regardless of who we roll out there, we have high confidence in.”

Reaves is the longest-tenured Laker entering his sixth season and he knows the high expectations that come with playing for the iconic franchise.

Last season, he had James to lean on, Marcus Smart was steady and Rui Hachimura was part of the fabric.

But they are all gone and now Reaves, who signed a four-year, $180-million contract extension, is one of the leaders.

“Yeah, I don’t know anything else,” Reaves said. “This is what I came to, but obviously it’s the Lakers, and it’s one of the most covered sports organizations in the world. So they’re gonna praise you when you’re doing good and not when you’re not.

“So you just gotta [know] whatever that goes on outside these walls doesn’t really matter. It’s just what goes on inside these walls. And if anybody has any questions, I’ll give them the best knowledge I have. But like I said, they’re high character guys that care about the right things. So, I think that’ll take care of itself.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves gets past the Warriors defense for a left-handed layup during a preseason game last week.

(David Becker / Associated Press)

The Lakers were 53-29 last season, finishing fourth in the West and getting knocked out in the second round by the Thunder.

They have two more days of practice before the journey begins.

“I think you’re always trying to get better,” Redick said. “And even later in the season, you tweak plays, you tweak the offense and you tweak coverages. It’s just constantly evolving. There’s no like, ‘Oh, we’re done. Now we’re going to go play.’

“But we’re ready to go.”

When coach JJ Redick announced his starters for the Lakers’ final preseason game Friday night, he was asked if those same players would start opening night Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors.

Redick paused before answering, not quite willing to commit. He started Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Walker Kessler.

Quentin Grimes, who had started the first four preseason games and had been solid in his role, was not among them.

“I know that there’s a chance Quentin is gonna have an opportunity to start,” Redick said. “This was the original plan we were gonna have for the Sacramento game with Collin [Sexton] out. … We just wanna get a look on that tonight, and we’ll see. But nothing definitive for next week.”

Grimes averaged 12.3 points, 2.5 assists and shot 53.3%, including 41.2% from three-point range, in 24.3 minutes per game in the preseason.

Redick said he was “still open to both” when asked if he could start Grimes and stagger his time with the starters on the bench.

In his first five NBA seasons, Grimes has mostly been a reserve, starting 146 of 318 games.

Grimes started the second half for the Lakers and scored 11 points in a 121-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.

“I think you’re looking for balance in lineups and you’re looking for players that complement and fit each other,” Redick said. “He’s going to start a lot of games for us. That’s just the reality of it. I don’t know who our base starting group is yet, but we’re going to look at this tonight.

“We wanted to get a look on this first game because Collin was out. That fourth ballhandler for us hasn’t been great. I said that the other night and talked to those guys … I don’t say anything out here that I don’t tell my players. So Quentin is also going to maybe have some looks as a ballhandler.”

Doncic, who didn’t play in the second half, finished with 15 points.

Reaves scored 19 points, Williams had 14, Kessler had six and Thybulle had seven.

Injury update

Sexton didn’t play in any preseason games because of a lower right leg injury. Redick said Sexton has been able to practice more.

“He continues to trend in the right direction,” Redick said.

Adou Thiero (maintenance) and Cameron Carr (contusion) didn’t play.

LAS VEGAS — The plan for the Lakers had been to turn their fourth preseason game into a dress rehearsal for the upcoming season.

But that was not the case.

The Lakers did get the preseason debut of center Walker Kessler on Tuesday night, a good sign for them to see their biggest acquisition of the summer play.

But on the flip side, Luka Doncic didn’t play in the Lakers’ 101-89 loss to the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena because he was resting.

“He’s not injured, just getting the night off,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

So, it was left up to Kessler, Austin Reaves and the rest of the available Lakers to sort things out. And Reaves and Kessler were on point.

In just his second preseason game, Reaves was doing what is expected of him, scoring 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting, including four for seven on three-pointers, with seven assists and four rebounds. But forced to handle the ball more with Doncic out, Reaves also had seven turnovers.

Kessler started and had 11 points, nine rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in 16 minutes.

For the Lakers, it was good to see Kessler on the court. They gave up a lot to acquire him in a trade with the Utah Jazz — two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps and then signing him to a four-year, $130-million contract.

Kessler played in only five games last season while recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

He missed the first three Lakers’ preseason games because of a left pinky injury.

Kessler yearned to play again.

“Yeah, I mean it was a lot of fun being out there again,” he said. “It’s been so long. Before the game I was actually pretty nervous, to be honest. But, getting out there and just playing with the guys, it was a blast. I can’t really, you know speak to … I think I have a certain presence on the floor, but I think my teammates around me did a great job of playing defense on the perimeter. I think we shared the ball really well tonight. Just how it was, especially in the first half. It was a lot of fun.”

He began his night with a defensive rebound, which allowed the Lakers to set up their offense early in the first quarter.

Kessler then cut to the basket, took a pass from Reaves and scored on a layup, his first points of the preseason.

His second basket was a left-handed layup early in the second quarter. Shortly after, Kessler blocked a shot by Warriors center Charles Bassey from behind, a display of his defensive presence.

Another good sign, less than a minute later, was when Kessler got an offensive rebound and bounded back up for a dunk.

When the Warriors went to their small-ball lineup in the first quarter, it meant the 7-foot-2 Kessler would be tested on defense, because his man was 6-2 Gary Payton II. It meant Kessler was forced to play defense on the perimeter and not down low where the Lakers prefer him.

Still, Kessler held his own.

Lakers forward Arthur Kaluma drives the ball against Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg during the first half Tuesday.

(David Becker / AP)

While he was out and unable to play, Kessler learned a few things about himself.

“Yeah, I think what I missed most was competing,” Kessler said. “Quite frankly, competing to win, and I think as far as making me a better basketball player, I just think it has made me long to go try to win every game and win every night. So returning, I think it makes me a little better basketball player.”

The Lakers lost to the Warriors for the second time this preseason. Their other two games were victories over the Sacramento Kings. They play one more preseason game, Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena, and then open the season against the Warriors at home on Oct. 21.

Before the game, Redick said the plan was for the Lakers to “continue to work on us.”

“We have kind of circled this game, not as a full dress rehearsal, just in terms of our scout presentation, but we gave the guys a sample of that this morning and at shoot-ariund,” Redick said. “Not as much game-planning necessarily, but just kind of the sequencing of how we present prior to a game. We’ll do the same thing pregame with a brief personnel tape. We just want to get better. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. We want to get healthy, we want to get better, we want to continue to build our fitness and cardio level and find a rhythm. And it’s been a little disjointed with having some guys out.”

Redick said rookie Cameron Carr, guard Collin Sexton (lower leg) and forwards Ziaire Williams (right foot contusion) and Adou Thiero (undisclosed) “are still day to day” with their injuries.

The bond between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is as real as it gets.

And though it was just a preseason game Thursday night, Doncic and Reaves showed why they form one of the most dynamic offensive backcourts in the NBA.

The Lakers duo linked up on the very first play against the Sacramento Kings, with Reaves passing to Doncic as he cut to the basket before scoring while being fouled.

Both played 25 minutes, with Doncic finishing with 23 points on six-for-16 shooting during the Lakers’ 114-110 win over the Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Reaves had eight points on two-for-seven shooting, eight assists and five rebounds.

Doncic, who picked up a technical foul with six minutes and 48 seconds left in the third quarter, and Reaves, who played in his first exhibition game after missing the first two, gave the fans something to be excited about.

Doncic’s moment came in the second quarter when he drilled a 31-foot, one-legged three-pointer off a pass from Sandro Mamukelashvili (19 points).

Reaves’ moment came late in the second quarter when he had a nice hesitation move that froze Emanuel Sharp, allowing him to waltz along the baseline for a layup.

Lakers coach JJ Redick explained why Doncic and Reaves have been so close in their time playing together.

“I think there’s good chemistry with each other,” Redick said. “I think it’s just the natural way they like each other. They like playing together. I think having them together means there’s automatically two ballhandlers on the court. I think that’s like an underrated part of the NBA now … having two-to-three ballhandlers on the floor at all times.”

Injury update

Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton both missed their third straight preseason game and Ziaire Williams missed his second straight game. Cameron Carr, Dalton Knecht and Arthur Kaluma also didn’t play.

Kessler, the Lakers’ big acquisition at center from the Utah Jazz, has been nursing a finger injury he sustained after hitting the backboard during practice.

“We’ve got to check in tomorrow. … It’s not concerning. He’ll play in the preseason,” Redick said.

Redick said Williams had “some soreness, but it’s not anything that we’re concerned about.”