Lakers Thrive Without LeBron and Doncic: Key Takeaways

Austin Reaves Claims the Throne in King’s Absence

For the first time in his career, LeBron James missed the start of the NBA season. The King had always taken the court for his team’s regular season opener until now. Sciatic nerve inflammation is no joke—especially for a player in his fifth decade. At best, he’ll return by mid-November.

Luka’s Lone Reign in Dallas

With LeBron sidelined, power shifted entirely to Luka Dončić. The Slovenian superstar is no stranger to carrying a team. Over the last three full seasons, the Dallas Mavericks—built around him—reached the conference finals twice and made one NBA Finals appearance.

Dončić appeared in noticeably leaner shape, looking every bit the iron-clad MVP candidate. He averaged 46 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists with just three turnovers in 38 minutes per game. Luka hunted for 50-point games, dictated the offense completely, and consistently steadied the Lakers during tough stretches. Only Victor Wembanyama brought more firepower in late October.

Injury Strikes Again

But Dončić finished his second game playing through pain. He dragged his teammates to victory—only to be ruled out for at least a week with a finger ligament strain and a bruised shin.

The Rise of Austin Reaves

Five days later, the Los Angeles Lakers sit sixth in the conference with a winning record, and the vacant throne has been claimed by Austin Reaves. The “Hillbilly Kobe” dropped 92 points in 27 hours, followed by a 28-point, 16-assist performance against Minnesota. This is the same player who struggled during the playoffs just months ago.

Two Burning Questions

This raises at least two key questions: Why are the Lakers winning, and how significant is this?

Weak Opponents? Think Again

Absolutely not. Despite their vulnerabilities, sportsbooks include Minnesota and Golden State among the top seven championship favorites. Sacramento, as usual, is hoping wholeheartedly to make the playoffs—let’s not disappoint those optimists.

Even the young and scrappy Portland Trail Blazers are no pushover. Since Chauncey Billups’ suspension and the interim appointment of Tiago Splitter as head coach, they’ve won three of four games. Their only loss came against the Clippers, but they beat Golden State and Utah.

Roster Woes Beyond LeBron and Luka

It’s worth noting that the injury issues don’t stop with LeBron and Luka—far from it. Against Portland, the Lakers were missing seven players. Among the absent were Adou Thiero and Maxi Kleber (minor losses), as well as Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent. The latter two may not have been scoring much, but they provided defense, energy, and ball-handling support.

Against Minnesota, the Lakers fought with essentially a six-man rotation. Dalton Knecht played 36 minutes—the same player who, after a failed trade to Charlotte, looked brilliant in practice but couldn’t convert in games. Jackson Hayes, Nick Smith Jr., and Bronny James picked up scraps while the starters caught their breath.

Why These Wins Matter

Beating Sacramento and Minnesota without Anthony Edwards isn’t a monumental achievement. In both cases, the games went down to the wire and could have gone either way.

But here’s the thing: These are exactly the kinds of wins that could prove crucial come the end of the regular season in the Wild West. Last year, the difference between third and ninth place in the conference was just two losses: 50-32 vs. 48-34. Overcoming roster shortages and snatching a few unexpected victories might just make all the difference.