The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a blistering 11-2 start, putting them tied for first place in the West with the San Antonio Spurs.
Luka Doncic is leading the league in scoring, averaging 38.6 points per game on 48% shooting from the field and 40% from three. He’s also averaging 7.5 rebounds and 7.6 assists.
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Austin Reaves is proving to be a strong second option, averaging 24.7 points per game on 51% shooting from the field and 40% from three, while Walker Kessler has been the perfect addition at the center position, as he’s scoring 14.5 points per game and grabbing 10.8 rebounds.
The Lakers have the number one offense in the league and show no signs of slowing down.
Their offensive rating is sitting at 121.6 this year. For comparison, the Nuggets led the league in offense last year with a 121.2 rating.
Luka is proving to be the best offensive player in the league this year, and it’s not exactly close. Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continue to put up strong offensive numbers, but Luka is doing something historical.
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No player has averaged 38 points per game since the 60s, when Wilt Chamberlain was doing it on a regular basis. Michael Jordan averaged 37 points in 86-87 and James Harden averaged 36.1 points in 18-19.
Doncic is taking a career-high and league-leading 13.4 threes per game, and knocking them down at a 40% clip. The Lakers have a 131 offensive rating when he is on the floor. That’s the highest among any player who has played over 250 minutes. The second highest? Austin Reaves at 127.7.
The trio of Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler has a 130.8 offensive rating, second-best among three-man units who have played over 150 minutes together behind De’Aaron Fox, Victor Wembanyama, and Dylan Harper.
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Their depth is doing its part as well. Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton are all scoring in double figures.
Overall, the team leads the league in field goal percentage and is third in three-point percentage.
It could be the defense. Though their offense is operating at a high level, their defense sits 17th in the league, but it’s an improvement over last season, and the effort is clearly there on that end. Kessler is proven to be the defensive anchor they needed, as the Lakers are six points better with him on the floor on the defensive side. The Lakers are also creating the third-most turnovers in the league.
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Though there are defensive concerns, there are positive signs of long-term improvement.
The true test for the Lakers will be in their health and when the competition ramps up. They’ve played the seventh easiest schedule thus far. They’ve done what good teams should do against bad teams and blown them out, but the competition will get harder, and that’s when they’ll be tested.
Health is a concern that can tank any team. An injury to Doncic, Reaves, or Kessler could set the team back, especially if it comes at the wrong time.
