A bold new projection is circulating around the Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Dončić averaging 34 points per game, Austin Reaves emerging as a legitimate co-star, and the duo being touted as the NBA’s most lethal scoring pair. The claim sounds hyperbolic, but the Lakers’ roster construction around their new franchise player is making people reconsider what this team can actually become in the post-LeBron James era. The optimism is built on a foundation of proven numbers. Dončić averaged 33.
5 points, 7. 7 rebounds, and 8. 3 assists across 64 games last season, while Reaves posted a career-high 23. 3 points per game.
With James no longer commanding the offense, the Lakers are expected to run entirely through their two primary creators, a shift that has analysts projecting both players could approach or exceed 30 points per contest. That projection draws a direct comparison to Dončić’s time in Dallas, where he thrived alongside another elite ball-handler in Kyrie Irving. The formula there depended on surrounding the stars with shooters, defenders, and lob threats. The current Lakers roster appears to follow that same blueprint, with three-and-D wing Quentin Grimes, defensive stalwart Jarred Vanderbilt, and shot-blocking center Walker Kessler filling complementary roles.
Kessler, acquired as a 7-foot-2 rim protector, averaged 11. 1 points, 12. 2 rebounds, and 2. 4 blocks last season.
His presence addresses a critical need for the Lakers, giving Dončić a reliable lob target and an anchor at the rim. The team also added Luke Kennard at the trade deadline, a move targeting their 25th-ranked three-point shooting. Kennard arrived shooting 49. 7 percent from beyond the arc, giving the offense another floor-spacing threat defenses cannot ignore.
The defensive improvements have been gradual but meaningful. Head coach JJ Redick has spent months stitching together schemes and lineups, and the Lakers have reportedly become an average defensive team over the last two months—a significant step forward after a poor start on that end of the floor. The combination of improved defense and offensive firepower has fueled talk that the Lakers could finish in the top six of the Western Conference, a realistic goal given their 53-29 record and Pacific Division title last season. The debate over which player to build around going forward has already become personal.
In a 2026-27 season hypothetical, Dončić was chosen over Kevin Durant, and Reaves was selected ahead of other rising stars. The sentiment reflects a growing belief that the Lakers are no longer a team merely hoping to survive the West, but one that could field two elite offensive engines simultaneously. A major question remains: whether the perimeter defense can hold up against the conference’s best attacks. One side of the argument sees an unstoppable offense that will overwhelm opponents.
The other side warns that Luka’s scoring, Reaves’s production, and Kessler’s rim protection will not matter if the Lakers get exposed on the outside during the playoffs. The Lakers do not need to field a perfect defensive unit, according to the prevailing logic. They only need to be good enough defensively to allow their offense to become overwhelming. That distinction is exactly why the team is generating so much attention as the season approaches.
If Dončić reaches the scoring numbers being projected and Reaves continues his upward trajectory, the Western Conference will face a different kind of problem than they anticipated. The question is no longer whether the Lakers can be dangerous. It has become whether anyone can stop them.
