Rival Coach Raises Red Flag on Lakers’ Luka Doncic Plan
TThe Los Angeles Lakers picked up their first win of the season on Friday, taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves 131–122 behind another Luka Doncic masterpiece.
Doncic dropped 49 points, his second straight 40-point outing, leading Los Angeles past the team that eliminated them from last year’s playoffs. It was the Lakers’ first glimpse of balance in the young season —
It was a much-needed lift for a team still adjusting to life without
How Long Can the Lakers Survive Without LeBron?
GettyLeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on from the bench during the second quarter of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, James is targeting a mid-November return, leaving the Lakers to navigate one of the NBA’s toughest stretches without their leader and the league’s all-time leading scorer.
“Sources tell me he’s going to be very, very patient with this injury. I’m told the Lakers and LeBron are looking at mid-Novemberish for him to make his debut.” @ShamsCharania
That leaves Doncic as the sole engine — and so far, he’s been everything Los Angeles hoped for and more. But around the league, there’s growing skepticism about whether this level of dependence can last.
“Luka is going to have to do what he did every night just to give them a chance,” an assistant coach told ESPN.
The Lakers’ offense has lived and died on Doncic’s creation through the first two games. He dropped 43 points in the opener against the
Scouts Aren’t Sold on the Supporting Cast
While Doncic has been spectacular, scouts around the league see a troubling trend behind his brilliance.
“Luka is awesome,” one scout said. “And the rest of the team is who we thought they were.”
He added that Reaves “was good until he ran out of gas because he had to do so much,” and admitted, “outside of them I couldn’t tell you who their third-best player was.”
That assessment came after the Lakers’ season-opening loss to the Warriors — a game where Doncic poured in 43 points but received little help beyond Reaves.
It’s a blunt but fair evaluation. The Lakers’ depth has looked inconsistent at best, and without James, it’s unclear where the secondary playmaking and defensive leadership will come from.
“They have a chance because Luka doing that isn’t a one-off performance,” another scout told ESPN. “They need some of these other guys to step up. You look at their roster, and it’s 1-2-3 — and 2 is out — then a huge gap.”
Can the Lakers Hold On in the West?
The Lakers have enough talent to compete, but the margin for error is small. Every night feels like a test of endurance, with Doncic forced to shoulder both the scoring and the playmaking load.
Reaves has taken on a bigger offensive role, and Hachimura’s consistency will be key, but until LeBron returns, this team will live in a fragile balance between brilliance and burnout.
If anyone can keep them afloat, it’s Doncic — but even for a player of his magnitude, 45 points a night isn’t sustainable forever.
The Bigger Picture for the Lakers
The Western Conference won’t wait for Los Angeles to catch up. Every win matters, and every misstep could come back in April.
For now, Doncic is doing everything possible to keep the Lakers above water, but the strain is visible. The weight of expectation, the nightly double teams, and the grind of carrying a roster built for two stars instead of one — it’s all part of the early-season storm.
The Lakers may have found their first win, but they’ve also found their reality: until James is back, Doncic has to be everything, everywhere, all at once.
Warriors’ Stephen Curry Takes Another Step Toward NBA History
The Golden State Warriors couldn’t keep their early momentum rolling on Friday night, falling 139–119 to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Coming off a thrilling overtime win over the Denver Nuggets
Still,
A Reminder of Who Runs the Show
The night before, Curry put on a masterclass in front of the Chase Center crowd. He exploded for 42 points against the defending champion Nuggets
It was vintage Curry — the shot-making, the crowd, the emotion. Nights like that remind the league that his reign isn’t over yet.
That performance also moved him closer to one of the few players whose name still hovers beside his in the record books: Michael Jordan.
Curry Nears Jordan in Rare Company
Getty
With his outburst against Denver, Curry now stands within reach of one of Jordan’s most remarkable scoring marks — the most 40-point games by a player after turning 30.
That places him firmly among an elite list that includes Damian Lillard, Kobe Bryant, and
It’s another milestone that speaks to how much he’s redefined aging in the NBA
Most 40-PT games after turning 30 years old:
44 — Michael Jordan 42 — Steph Curry
What It Means for the Warriors
Golden State’s early schedule has been a test of endurance. The win over Denver showed how dangerous the Warriors can be when everything clicks. The loss to Portland showed how quickly it can fall apart when fatigue sets in.
But even through the grind, Curry’s consistency remains the stabilizer. With Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Al Horford forming the veteran core, Golden State has the leadership to weather early-season adversity.
And Curry, as always, is the one setting the standard. The calm in the storm. The constant in transition.
The Bigger Picture for the Warriors
The Warriors may have split their back-to-back, but their outlook remains the same: as long as Stephen Curry is on the floor, they’ll have belief.
His name being mentioned alongside Jordan isn’t about rivalry — it’s about longevity, mastery, and how both players changed what greatness looks like over time.
For Curry, records are secondary to rhythm. But when that rhythm leads him into conversations with the greatest to ever do it, it’s a reminder of what makes him special.
And for the Warriors, it’s proof that even after all these years, their star is still chasing history — one impossible shot at a time.
