Lakers' $165M overlooked playoff monster will be postseason hero with LeBron James, Austin Reaves
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Lakers' $165M overlooked playoff monster will be postseason hero with LeBron James, Austin Reaves originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have a team fully committed to winning now and making a deep playoff run. The biggest names leading the charge are Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic. James, nearing the end of his career, wants to compete on a contending team.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Doncic is now the face of the franchise, and the organization is committed to building a winner around him. However, he is eager to fast-track his return to the NBA Finals.
“Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn't mean they can slow down and take their time. Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he's not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender,” CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish wrote.
After a disappointing end to last postseason, many have forgotten about the dangerous Playoff Luka.
“As such, Luka's habit of taking his game to another level in the postseason is something that could alter the Western Conference landscape in this coming playoffs. A lot of people have discarded the 2025-26 Lakers as an assumed first or second round exit. Fair enough. Doncic will need some help if LA is going to make a surprising run. But if we're about to see the Playoff Luka that's emerged in multiple postseasons before, the Lakers' ceiling is much higher than most people realize. Playoff Luka is an entity that no one can stop, not even the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs of the present,” Lake Show Life’s Colin Keane wrote.
Doncic has been playing at an elite level this season, and he shifts into another gear in the playoffs. It promises to be an exciting postseason if Playoff Luka shows up.
It may have been overlooked until now, but consider this a warning: he could go off at any moment. The Lakers would welcome this version of Doncic, especially if Reaves and James are providing strong complementary play.
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