Now fully in the Luka Doncic era, there are high hopes that the Los Angeles Lakers can compete for NBA championships over the next few years.
However, as it relates to the upcoming season, the Lakers are a major question mark after losing LeBron James and other top contributors while bringing in Walker Kessler and a new supporting cast around Doncic and Austin Reaves.
After a complete roster overhaul, one former fan favorite and champion in Los Angeles, Trevor Ariza, sent a strong message to the Lakers, and Doncic in particular, about the franchise’s title hopes in 2026-27.
Trevor Ariza On Luka Doncic And The Lakers This Season
In a recent interview with Ryan Ward of Sports Illustrated, Ariza discussed in depth this thoughts on Doncic and the Lakers as a whole for the soon-to-come basketball season.
“What I’ve seen from Luka, I would say Luka is very, very good. He’s an unbelievable offensive talent, but what we have seen is that when teams that are not in the top 10 in offense and defense have a hard time winning it all,” Ariza said.
“If a team that Luka Doncic is the primary player on, I think in order for that team to win, the defense has to be a part of that DNA and a huge part of that diet. Until his teams play defense and the defensive rating is high, that will probably be their Achilles heel.”
The Lakers struggled on the defensive end of the court last season. They did add Kessler and a few other wing defenders this offseason, but with Doncic and Reaves in the backcourt, it remains an issue. Though the Slovenian consistently puts up staggering numbers on the offensive side of the ball, his performance on the other end of the court remains arguably the biggest critique of his game.
“Do I think this team that assembled right now is a championship team? You can never really tell this early. But on paper, I don’t believe so, but I’ve been wrong about teams before,” Ariza added.
Still, despite his blunt assessment of Doncic and the Lakers, Ariza believes the star will put the team on his back when they need it most.
“It’ll be just like how it was for him in Dallas, except for now you are on a bigger and brighter stage again…Playing here in L.A. is just a completely different thing, and it’s gonna be a lot of weight on him, but I do believe that he has the ability to carry that weight.”
Opinions Differ On Los Angeles And Its Star
While Ariza cast doubt on the Lakers’ title hopes this upcoming season and how well Doncic can perform, that thought isn’t shared across the basketball world.
Though Lakers fans also remained somewhat skeptical about the team’s championship potential led by their star, a longtime teammate of Doncic on the Slovenian national team, Edo Muric, believes the guard will have the best season of his career.
“Luka looks better and better when I see him every year. He is now at that age where he is at the peak of his powers. He’s not a kid anymore,” Muric told journalist Martin Pavcnik, per Basketnews.
“Every time I see him with a ball, he just gets better and better,” he added. “I can’t wait for next season to see him in an even bigger role with the Lakers. I just hope he stays healthy the entire season because this truly could be his best one yet, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Doncic is one of several NBA stars expected to be in the running for the MVP award. Also, the Lakers over/under before the year is at roughly 46.5 wins, depending on the source. So though Doncic could be poised for a big year, that’s no guarantee it helps his team secure a top spot in the West.
Who finishes with more wins next year, the Lakers or 76ers?
The over under is closer than you think.
76ers: 50.5 wins Lakers: 46.5 wins
Who are you taking?
#lakeshow
It will be tough sledding for the Lakers next year, but if Doncic can live up to and exceed expectations with this new-look team, there’s a decent chance he puts them in a good position heading into the postseason.
Ex-Lakers Champion Warns Luka Doncic Of Major ‘Achilles Heel’