The EuroBasket stat that should make Lakers excited for 2025-26

Doncic looked leaner, stronger and more effective playing for Slovenia than he did in a disappointing 2024-25 season that saw him traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers. But what stood out was the nature of Doncic's offense, which was much closer to what he did in his five straight first-team All-NBA seasons.

The Slovenian superstar shot 41-of-66 (62.1 percent) on two-pointers in seven games at EuroBasket, compared to 32.1 percent on three-pointers. Last season, Doncic shot 52.2 percent on two-pointers, the lowest since his rookie season, and only 49.3 percent after being traded to the Lakers.

Luka Doncic wasn't the same mid-range scorer with Los Angeles Lakers

His percentages especially dropped within 10 feet of the basket. Doncic shot 83.8 percent within three feet of the basket with the Mavericks in 2023-24, and 72.1 percent from the same range with the Lakers after the trade. From 3-10 feet, he dropped from 56.9 percent in 2023-24 to 51.4 percent with the Lakers.

There were perfectly good reasons for the decline. Doncic suffered injuries to his left calf before the season and on Christmas Day. After the blockbuster trade, Doncic rushed back to help his new team, while never regaining his conditioning — it's hard to stay in shape when you can't run.

But at EuroBasket, Doncic had no trouble outmuscling defenders and getting to his spots close to the basket. His three-point shooting wasn't very efficient, but he was also the lone scoring threat on a Slovenian team that had no other NBA players and almost no players from high-level European teams.

Luckily, on the Lakers, he has a teammate named LeBron James to discourage opponents' double-teams. Now that Doncic is back to being a two-point threat, the Lakers have the potential to be an elite offense again in 2025-26.