The Best Version of Luka Yet?
When Marcus Smart was asked to describe Luka Dončić’s start to the 2025-26 NBA season, his response stretched beyond normal vocabulary.
“Fantasticness,” Smart said after the Lakers defeated the struggling Memphis Grizzlies last Friday.
It might not be a real word, but Dončić’s play this season has defied the limits of language. After a summer that saw him dominate at EuroBasket and enter training camp in the best shape of his career, the Lakers superstar has elevated his game to unprecedented levels.
Following a thrilling 118–116 victory over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Dončić is averaging an astonishing 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists per game on career-best shooting percentages.
A Record Start
Statitudes’ Justin Kubatko reports that Dončić is only the second player in NBA history to score at least 200 points through the first five games of a season, joining none other than Wilt Chamberlain from 1962–63. When your statistical company is Wilt, you know you’re in rare air.
Despite an off night from deep against Memphis, where he went 1-for-11 from beyond the arc, Dončić has been deadly inside the paint. He’s shooting 67.2% on two-pointers and an incredible 85% at the rim. Combined with improved free-throw accuracy at 78.9%, his overall true shooting percentage sits at .636 — easily a career high.
Only a handful of players in league history have posted such efficiency with comparable usage: James Harden (2019–20), Joel Embiid (2020–21, 2022–23), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2024–25).
Leading Without LeBron
Even without LeBron James, Dončić has turned the Lakers into a contender. He leads the league in scoring, ranks fifth in assists, and sits sixth in points created via assists.
According to NBA RAPM data, he also leads the NBA in usage rate, touches, and time of possession — holding the ball nearly 45% of the time he’s on the floor — yet he’s committing turnovers on just 11.3% of possessions, the lowest rate of his career.
His growing chemistry with big men Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes has been key. Dončić already has 12 assists to Ayton in just over 100 minutes together, and his ability to draw defenders creates open lanes for teammates and shooters like Rui Hachimura and Jake LaRavia.
A Complete Offensive Engine
The Lakers are averaging 1.185 points per play when Dončić runs a pick-and-roll, the fourth-highest mark among high-volume players, per Synergy Sports. That efficiency surpasses even his peak seasons in Dallas, including the 2022–23 campaign when he carried the Mavericks to the NBA Finals.
Overall, the Lakers rank sixth in the league in points per non-garbage-time possession, but with Dončić on the floor, they perform at a rate that would rival the most potent offenses in modern NBA history.
“He just gets wherever he wants to go and takes what the defense gives him,” head coach JJ Redick said after Dončić’s 44-point outing against Memphis.
Impact on Both Ends
Dončić’s improvement isn’t limited to offense. Against San Antonio, he matched a career high with five steals, while his block and defensive rebounding rates also sit near career peaks.
“I’ve never seen him like that,” teammate Rui Hachimura said. “He’s being more aggressive defensively, and that’s what we need from him.”
That defensive effort, combined with his all-around dominance, has powered the Lakers to a 7–2 start — good for second in the Western Conference behind the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Challenge Ahead
Redick has already used seven different starting lineups through nine games as the Lakers battle early-season injuries. LeBron James has yet to make his season debut due to sciatica, while Austin Reaves missed two games with groin soreness.
It’s uncertain when the Lakers will be fully healthy, but one thing is clear: Luka Dončić has been nothing short of extraordinary. Whether this level of production can continue is anyone’s guess, but for now, the basketball world is witnessing one of the most dominant starts to an NBA season in recent memory.
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