The Los Angeles Lakers are completely built around Luka Doncic. With LeBron James in Philadelphia, the Lakers have decided to get the type of players Doncic wants. Doncic signed a long-term extension with the franchise last summer.
Last season, Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. He shot 47.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Those stats are why The Athletic has ranked Doncic and the Lakers as having the second-best point guards in the NBA.
Lakers Rated as Owning the Second-Best PGs in the NBA
In a poll of all NBA writers from The Athletic, Los Angeles was ranked as having the second-best set of point guards. Only the Thunder were ranked as having better point guards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell are the two primary point guards they have.
Doncic is backed up by Collin Sexton, who did not play in LA last year. He was signed in the offseason to back up Doncic and is seen as someone who can certainly score the ball. The playmaking drop between him and Doncic is likely why the Lakers aren’t ahead of the Thunder.
The Athletic’s rankings are based on certain metrics. One of those metrics is availability, which is something that may have hurt Doncic’s case. He continues to miss games, even though he has gotten into much better shape before the year begins than he did in Dallas.
Last year, Doncic missed the entire playoffs because of a hamstring injury. He played in only 64 regular season games. During the 2024-25 season, he played in just 50 games between Dallas and Los Angeles. Injuries have been a big part of his story in the last few seasons.
The Lakers are hoping that the addition of Sexton can help take a little bit of the load off Doncic for the regular season. However, Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler will be looked at as the three main guys to carry the team throughout the season.
Los Angeles Needs to Find a Way to Stay Healthy
The Lakers’ top three players all have some injury concerns. Kessler played just five games last year. Yet, Rob Pelinka was comfortable trading multiple first-round picks for him and giving him a $130 million deal. Kessler will be looked at as the guy to anchor their defense for years to come.
Reaves played just 51 games last season and still got rewarded with a max extension this offseason. He missed the first few games of the postseason, as well. Without both Doncic and Reaves for a large portion of that first-round series, James had to carry the team.
The Lakers don’t have someone who can do that anymore. Last year, the team ranked 10th on offense. If Doncic and Reaves miss a ton of games again, there is a chance the offense drops off in a big way. That’s why the writers still can’t trust Doncic as the best player at his position.
Lakers Ranked as Having the Second-Best Point Guards in the NBA