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The Lakers’ 2-2 start can be interpreted in basically any way you wish.
If you take an optimistic look, the Lakers were able to win a couple of contests despite not having LeBron James at all and missing Luka Dončić in one of those victories.
If you are a bit more pessimistic, then you might not think the Lakers can win enough with LeBron out or that the role players’ performances have underwhelmed you and the defensive problems will be too much to overcome even when the roster is fully healthy.
One thing all Lakers fans can agree on, though, is that Luka and Austin Reaves have already had some great performances.
Luka went berserk against the Wolves, scoring 49 to give the Lakers their first win of the year. Reaves one-upped the superstar by scoring 51 the following game, also in an LA victory. Were these games enough to convince you that the Lakers will be okay overall this year?
Before the regular season began, we asked fans how many wins the Lakers would have this season. The response indicated a 50-plus-win season for the purple and gold.
Now that we have one week of data, we are asking fans whether they feel more encouraged, less encouraged, or the same about what the 2025-26 Lakers will do. We asked a more fun question about which of Luka’s or Austin’s performances was better.
This early on, not overreacting to what one sees after a week is likely wise. However, if you thought the Lakers would be tenacious defensively, that Jarred Vanderbilt developed a 3-point shot and that this team would be healthy, you might want to rethink things.
Injuries have depleted the roster and will remain an issue for at least a couple of weeks. The Lakers have a 115.4 defensive rating, which is middle of the pack, but they are allowing 21 points off turnovers per game. That’s the sixth most in the NBA.
The defensive specialists the Lakers employ, like Vando and Marcus Smart, are good on that side of the ball, but can they provide enough offense to stay on the floor?
The other rotation players, like Jake LaRavia and Gabe Vincent, have been consistently inconsistent. Given the ups and downs they’ve had during their careers, it seems that trend of highs and lows will continue this year.
When it comes to the best performance so far between Luka and Austin, I can see both sides.
Luka scored less, but he did it against the better team. Reaves, on the other hand, scored more and uplifted the Lakers essentially by himself with Luka and LeBron out.
Also, for Reaves, this was a new-career high. So, the fact that he played far beyond his standard capabilities gives his performance an edge over Luka’s.
So, if you are a fan of 50-point games like LeBron you might pick Reaves as the standout performance of opening week. If being your best against the best matters more to you, then Luka is the game to go with.
The good news for the Lakers is this likely won’t be the last time Luka and Austin go off in games. The big question is, will their play be enough to stack up wins in an always difficult Western Conference?
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
