The Los Angeles Lakers have a significant campaign coming up in the 2025-26 NBA season. They still have the superstar duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James leading the charge.
Since this will be the first full season in Los Angeles for Doncic, he could play at his peak level. This has led people like Gilbert Arenas to think that the Slovenian guard could be in for a historic season.
The hype is real for the Lakers because they have a solid roster surrounding Doncic and James. Of course, James won’t be playing the first few games of the season, as he is dealing with sciatica.
That puts pressure on Doncic to perform to the highest level. It might put a huge toll on his body, but it could be the key to him impressing the NBA community, which could influence people to vote for him in the MVP race.
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As one of the best players in the league, Doncic is always a threat to opposing teams. He is always the focus of the scouting report, which makes it tougher for their opponents because they also have to worry about LeBron James.
Even if he is the focus of the opponents’ game plan, Doncic always finds a way. He is one of the most clever players in the league, so he knows how to thrive against defenses focused on stopping him.
In the 2025-26 season, the Lakers will have Doncic at his peak because he is more comfortable in Los Angeles, and he will be the true focal point of the team. A full training camp with the team also helps so that coach JJ Redick can fully integrate him as the star player.
This has led to excitement for him to go on a charge for the MVP award.
“I’m expecting that he is gonna flirt with a triple-double all season. Might hit it, but if he doesn’t hit it, he’s going to be shy from the assist part because of the rest of our team,” Arenas said on his podcast.
“He’s gonna lead the league in scoring, for sure… Have you seen the team? For sure, he’s gonna take all the shots… If LeBron isn’t going to be playing and the rest of the team looks the way it looked, he gonna average 35 points for sure. Easy work.”
With his deep arsenal of offensive moves, Doncic can always beat his defenders with his smarts. However, he is also one of the best teammates because he can be the primary playmaker while still scoring a lot of points.
His Lakers teammates will benefit from his passing, including center Deandre Ayton. If they can properly support him, the Lakers could have a good enough record to propel Doncic into the MVP race alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
It will be a challenging campaign for the Lakers, especially with James missing out on a lot of games. However, Doncic has everything he needs to become the NBA’s best player. If he can deliver, the Lakers can compete for a championship again.