Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15). Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic-Austin Reaves stat proves Lakers don't need LeBron James anymore

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Nov 12, 2025 12:54 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers are still waiting for LeBron James to make his season debut. The four-time NBA champion is practicing with the G-League affiliate to ramp up his recovery after dealing with a sciatica injury for the past month or so.

However, JJ Redick's team hasn't missed him much so far. They're 8-3 and in fourth place in the Western Conference. More than that, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are off to a blazing hot start this season, and they're managing just fine without him.

The Lakers are all set for the post-LeBron James era

Per the NBA's advanced stats, the Lakers have a 129.4 offensive rating when Doncic and Reaves share the court.

In seven games, Doncic is averaging a career-best 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 3.9 three-pointers per game on 49/32/79 shooting splits, per Basketball Reference. Reaves is not that far behind, also posting career bests in scoring at 30.3 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.9 triples on 48/32/88 from the floor.

Both players are clearly at their best when they have the rock in their hands, and that's not going to happen as often once James gets back on the court. Of course, Redick will be wise to dial James' workload back and not wear him down so he's ready for the playoffs.

But given the way this team is dominating without him, the Lakers might not be in much of a rush to convince James to return for another season.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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