Perhaps this was the Los Angeles Lakers' front office plan all along, with All-Star LeBron James making his 2025-26 regular-season debut amid a successful start to a promising campaign, led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The Lakers won three straight games without Deandre Ayton, and while James eases his way into the fold, with only one game under his belt, Los Angeles is 11-4.
With nearly 20% of an 82-game regular season in the rearview, the Lakers have proven to LeBron and to themselves that they can succeed without James. However, that's not what will put them in contention with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers are hoping LeBron will be the player who takes them over the top in his 23rd NBA season.
The question from most Lakers fans this season: Is it enough?
It's still too early to say. However, unlike James' championship teams of the past, the Lakers aren't relying heavily on LeBron to be their savior. Instead, they're cementing a strong supporting cast, one in which he doesn't have to lead, but could make the difference between making the playoffs and reaching the Western Conference Finals.
James can still play at a very high level, as he proved to the league last season, averaging 24.4 points on 51.3% shooting, including a 37.6% three-point clip, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game.
This season, Luka Doncic is posting MVP-caliber production with averages of 34.6 points, 9.0 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. At the same time, Reaves is having a breakout season, averaging 28.1 points on 49% shooting, 7.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.
LeBron James' next stride could take Lakers over the top
While debates over the best teams in the Western Conference continue in NBA circles, the Lakers have to be mentioned alongside the Thunder, Rockets, and Nuggets as a dark horse, with the addition of LeBron James bolstering their case. With only one game under James' belt, the 11-4 Lakers have the ninth-highest offensive rating (117.9) in the NBA.
It's a statistical category that's bound to improve as LeBron finds his offensive momentum, and the same could be said on the defensive end. Add the fact that James is in the final year of his contract with the Lakers, which could be his best chance to win a fifth NBA championship and his second with the Lakers, amid the twilight of a 20-plus-year career.
