The Los Angeles Lakers
By Colin Im, Evan Mulia, and Harrison Lester
The start of the 2025-2026 NBA season has been challenging for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were founded as a team in 1946 and they have had many championship seasons, including those with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1970s, Magic Johnson in the 1980s, and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neall in the 2000s. All together, they have won 17 NBA championships, but many have considered their glory years behind them. Despite this, the Lakers have been working hard to take this season to the max. Ever since the trade with the Dallas Mavericks earlier this year, when we traded Anthony Davis for their star player Luka Doncic, he and superstar player LeBron James have been the main reason why the Lakers have been in contention to be the top of the league. However, they started the first month of the season without LeBron, who is dealing with sciatica, which involves nerve pain in the lower back. When Luka Doncic and LeBron James both suit up for a game, it is expected for them to dominate in the league. But despite not having LeBron on the court until later in November, the Lakers currently have a record of 18 wins and 7 losses, which is a lot better than expected.
While LeBron has been recovering, Doncic and Austin Reaves have been instrumental in winning games. Luka Doncic has been averaging 35 points per game (ppg), with 9 assists (apg) and 9 rebounds (rpg). Reaves has been averaging 28 ppg, 5 rpg, and 7 apg. They also have good role players such as Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Jake Laravia. In this past offseason, they signed players such as Deandre Ayton, Jake Laravia, and Marcus Smart. The team’s offense is very good, so they score lots of points every game, but their main flaw is their defense. The Lakers have until early February to make a change and get better defenders. It is likely that the Lakers trade Austin Reaves, who is great on offense but horrible on defense, for some good bench players and defensive players. If the Lakers get better bench players and a better defense, they might be able to make a more successful run for the championship.
The next big step for the Lakers is for LeBron to reclaim his place as the team’s star player after his recovery and return to regular play on November 18. He was sent to the G-league to recover and train before his return. The G-league is the minor league of the NBA where players go to train their skills and undergo rehabilitation. Now that LeBron is back, we hope to see the Lakers with a higher win rate. With Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, and LeBron, fans hope the chemistry will strike and make them a power team again. Even though LeBron is 40 and getting old, he is still one of the top players in the league and has the ability to boost the Lakers to the fullest. He has always been a dominant leader on the court, but he is moving on to passing the torch to Luka Doncic and making his skills shine. In fact, recently LeBron gave up a 19-year streak of scoring at least 10 points per game for a game-winning pass to teammate Rui Hachimura to win the game at the buzzer. After the game, LeBron told reporters, “If it had to end, that’s the perfect way for me: making the right play…This is literally who I am. It's always been about: 'How can I win the game? How can I make the right play and win the game?'”
To be honest, It will be difficult for the Lakers to win the championship this year because of the dreaded Western Conference. The West has the former NBA champions, the OKC Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; the Denver Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic; the Houston Rockets led by Alperen Sengun; and many more. Only 8 teams make the playoffs in each conference, so if the Lakers somehow make the playoffs, they will most likely play against the Rockets, Nuggets, or Thunder. The Lakers are a good team, but they are not likely to be a match for these other teams. If only the Lakers were in the Eastern conference, then they would easily make the playoffs and maybe even make the Championship. The Lakers currently have a great record of 18 and 7, but even with that record, they are still in 3rd place in the West.
As the current 2025-25 NBA season progresses, the Lakers have high expectations and a heavy weight on their shoulders. Relying on great teamwork and chemistry, the Lakers are slowly on their way to victory. By establishing themselves as a legitimate force, they can prove to others they are capable of winning this season. Most of this relies on the power of Luka and LeBron, both seen as amazing players.
For the Lakers full schedule, click here
