Luka Doncic is going to be out for revenge as he enters his first full season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. They will be opening the season at home, welcoming the Golden State Warriors in a battle between two division rivals.
At this point, there are many questions surrounding the Lakers roster especially amid LeBron James' battle with sciatica. Their defense, in particular, is going to need a lot of work, and they will be tested almost immediately on Tuesday night with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, among others, visiting town.
Doncic's defensive effort has been criticized in the past, and even when he's giving it his all, he still has some shortcomings on that end of the floor regardless. The Lakers will have to put him in his best defensive role, and according to insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Doncic will take the defensive role of a power forward — with the team shielding him away from on-ball duties as much as possible, only asking him to be of help on the weakside or perhaps when blitzing ball screens.
I have Rui at SF because he's more likely to take on opposing 2s/3s than Luka. Ayton has been an anchor big and a mobile big throughout his career — you can argue either way — but I think he's been used more as the former than the latter in the preseason.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 21, 2025
Doncic is not the fleetest of feet, and even though he appears to have slimmed down relative to last season, he's never going to be an elite ball-stopper. He's not the worst defensive player in the world, as his 6'7″ frame means that he has defensive utility. But even then, the Lakers are going to have to scheme smartly to hide whatever deficiencies he has on the defensive end, especially when they're also starting another below-average defender in Austin Reaves.
This upcoming contest for the Lakers against the Warriors is a good test of how this LA defense will set up moving forward.
Can Lakers recapture last season's defensive magic?
The Lakers have proven that they can build an elite defense even with Doncic on the roster. Now, a crucial piece of what made the Lakers defense so good to end the 2024-25 regular season is missing, what with James remaining on the mend. But Redick is smart enough to know what works and what doesn't.
LA has the personnel to help Doncic be his best defensive self. Gabe Vincent is a battle-tested hand who can get over screens and at least stay in front of his man, Marcus Smart brings experience and vocal leadership, while Jarred Vanderbilt, a multi-positional defensive irritant, looks to be at his healthiest at the moment.
