With the NBA season tipping off, the lights at Crypto.com Arena are as bright as ever for The Los Angeles Lakers. The Purple and Gold enter the 2025-26 season with high expectations, as they brace for new additions, the first full season with Luka Doncic and potentially the final championship run of LeBron James’ career.
After last spring’s first-round exit to Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the franchise spent the summer adding key defensive pieces to the rotation.
They added both perimeter and interior defense, doubled down on locker room leadership with the new additions of Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton. The message from the front office is obvious, which is that this roster isn’t just built to win regular season games, but built to compete with the best teams in the Western Conference.
At 40 years old, James knows that the end is near, but he also showed last year that he can still keep up. James averaged 24.4 points, almost eight rebounds and eight assists per game last season while shooting 51% from the field and 37% from three-point range. . His presence in the locker room this year is expected to be as it’s always been — more than just a player, but also as a coach for the younger guys on the team to help bridge the gap and build on the relationship that he has with Lakers head coach J.J Reddick. James is embracing both the role of a mentor and competitor, while being eager to chase one more title before the curtain falls.
Dončić enters his second season as a Laker with even more responsibility. His 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists per game last season re-cemented himself as one of the league’s most dominant offensive players, even if it was technically a down-year for the star.
A common sentiment amongst Lakers fans last year was that Dončić didn’t have enough time to gel with the team, and in the playoffs this showed. He has to manage turnovers, defend in high level moments and build that connection with the rest of the team.
The Lakers know that the stars can’t just do it alone and they have to depend on their supporting cast. Austin Reaves has continued to evolve into a reliable secondary scorer, while Rui Hachimura has provided size, shooting and versatility at the forward position. The arrivals of former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and an interior threat in Deandre Ayton give the team a defensive edge that they lacked last season.
Head coach J.J Redick emphasized accountability, but also emphasized playing together as a team heading into his second season. The Lakers look to run a faster pace, share the ball more, and lean on defensive intensity to create stops. Role players like Jared Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent will still have to do their part with protecting the interior and maximizing offensive transitions on the floor.
The Western Conference will definitely be unforgiving this year as Dallas, Oklahoma City, Golden State, Denver and Minnesota still remain a problem, while San Antonio and Houston look to make some noise with their new rosters. The Lakers can’t afford slow starts or extended absences from their stars. If everyone stays healthy and does their part, Los Angeles has every reason to believe that a deep playoff run is certainly within reach.
The Lakers will play their home opener against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, October 21 at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.