01/08/2026
Luka Doncic did everything he possibly could against the San Antonio Spurs, carrying the offense and trying to drag the Los Angeles Lakers to a win almost by himself.
With Austin Reaves sidelined and LeBron James sitting out the second night of a back-to-back, the scoring drought was brutal.
Luka is carrying an insane load, but outside of him, LeBron, and Reaves, the Lakers have no reliable buckets. Defenses are already catching on, packing the paint and daring the role players to beat them.
This isn’t a one-game issue, and it’s not sustainable. Come playoff time, this flaw will get hunted possession after possession. Until the Lakers solve their secondary scoring problem beyond Luka, LeBron, and Reaves, their ceiling stays capped.
Hero ball can keep games close, but it won’t carry a team when it matters most.
