When Luka Dončić is on the floor, the 2026–27 Los Angeles Lakers are a dangerous, highly competitive team—one of the few squads capable of trading punches in a brutal Western Conference alongside powerhouses like Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver, and a loaded Portland roster. Powered by Dončić’s generational playmaking gravity, Los Angeles produces top-tier offensive efficiency whenever he runs the show.
Still, even at full strength, the Lakers are far from an unbeatable juggernaut. Consider the talent gap they faced against Portland on Friday night: the Trail Blazers boast a collection of established stars and All-Star talent in Damian Lillard, All-Star forward Deni Avdija, an injured Ja Morant who didn’t even suit up, and two-way stalwart Jrue Holiday—who passed Steve Nash during that very game to crack the top 100 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. By comparison, Los Angeles is built around roughly 1.5 stars in Dončić and Austin Reaves. That thinner margin for error makes one glaring flaw stand out even more: the moment Dončić heads to the bench—or sits out entirely—Redick’s offense devolves into a stagnant, disjointed mess that looks less like an NBA playbook and more like five strangers “winging it.” [1, 2]
While general manager Rob Pelinka built a roster specifically tailored to complement Dončić, head coach JJ Redick deserves legitimate scrutiny for running a one-size-fits-all system that actively works against his roster whenever Luka isn’t on the court.
1. The “High-Screen” Trap Without Luka’s Gravity
Redick’s offensive philosophy leans heavily on free-flowing, “read-and-react” spacing triggered by high ball screens above the three-point arc. When Dončić runs that action, defenders have to blitz or hedge 30 feet from the basket, effortlessly creating 4-on-3 advantages and wide-open skip passes.
Without Dončić, however, running that exact same perimeter weave is counterproductive:
- Defenses Stay Home: Neither Austin Reaves nor Collin Sexton commands double-teams at the top of the key. Defenders simply go under screens or switch comfortably, leaving the ball-handler stranded on an island with nowhere to go.
- Stranding Walker Kessler: Pulling a pure non-shooter like Walker Kessler (0-for-0 from three this season) 25 feet from the hoop to set high screens without Luka’s gravity is a double negative. Because Kessler poses zero threat to pop for a jumper, his defender sags into the paint to clog driving lanes. Worse yet, pulling one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounders out to the perimeter assures a one-and-done possession, handing the defense an easy rebound whenever a contested jumper bricks.
2. Growing Pains Across the New Rotation
With nine new players learning a star-heavy system on the fly, several rotation pieces are still searching for their rhythm whenever Dončić isn’t orchestrating the floor:
- Collin Sexton’s Identity Crisis: Sexton thrives in downhill “go mode,” attacking the rim with speed. Yet in Friday’s win over Portland, he looked visibly frustrated and out of rhythm—finishing 0-for-4 with five fouls and a -10 plus-minus in 11 minutes—because he got bogged down in slow perimeter handoffs rather than attacking the paint.
- Ziaire Williams Adjusting to the Read-and-React Flow: Like many newcomers adapting to a complex spacing system, Williams is still finding the balance between looking for stars and hunting his own shot. Even in an efficient 3-for-5 shooting night against Portland, there was a fourth-quarter sequence where he had five full seconds of open space at the three-point line and paused to look for a pass instead of immediately firing or attacking—a moment that stalled the possession as the shot clock wound down.
- Jake LaRavia’s Shooting vs. Foul Trouble: On the perimeter, LaRavia has been a major bright spot, shooting a blistering 60.0% from three-point range (12-for-20) to open the season—including 7-for-9 over his last four games. However, his over-aggressiveness on defense has kept him from logging the bigger minutes needed to stabilize the second unit, as he is averaging 3.8 personal fouls in just 23.4 minutes per game (including fouling out against Portland).
How Redick Needs to Fix the Non-Dončić Minutes
In a conference where rivals have deeper star power and multi-layered attacks, the Lakers cannot afford to punt every non-Dončić stretch—or burn Luka out trying to carry 40 minutes a night. Redick needs a dedicated “Plan B” playbook for his second unit:
- Keep Kessler in the Paint: Ditch the high ball screens when Luka sits. Anchor Kessler in the dunker spot along the baseline so guards like Sexton and Reaves have open driving lanes and an elite offensive rebounder ready for putbacks.
- Run Off-Ball Pin-Downs for Shooters: Instead of asking Kessler to screen on the ball at the top of the key, use him to set weak-side pin-down screens for shooters like LaRavia and Quentin Grimes, keeping Kessler right next to the rim.
- Script Early Actions for Sexton and Reaves: Give secondary ball-handlers quick-hitting sets—early post seals, stagger screens, and downhill handoffs—so they can attack tilted defenses immediately rather than dribbling the air out of the ball above the arc.
Until Redick builds a separate identity for the non-Dončić minutes, the Lakers will remain a step behind the West’s true heavyweights—competitive whenever Luka is on the floor, but overly vulnerable every time he sits.
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