{"id":164353,"date":"2025-10-27T09:53:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T13:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=164353"},"modified":"2025-10-27T10:34:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T14:34:43","slug":"four-takeaways-as-lakers-endure-rollercoaster-opening-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/27\/four-takeaways-as-lakers-endure-rollercoaster-opening-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Takeaways As Lakers Endure Rollercoaster Opening Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES \u2014 The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>\u2019 opening week of their 79th season has been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. A humbling defeat to Stephen Curry<\/a> and the Golden State Warriors<\/a> on opening night set an uneasy tone. Within hours, frustration spilled across social media \u2014 and everyone except Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> found themselves in the fanbase\u2019s crosshairs.<\/p>\n

Four Takeaways As Lakers Endure Rollercoaster Opening Week<\/h2>\n
\"Austin
Feb 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) dribbles against the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Slovenian superstar opened the season with a blistering 46 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game, leading the Lakers to a thrilling revenge win over the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>. The \u201cLuka for MVP\u201d train was in full motion before it screeched to a halt. Don\u010di\u0107 suffered finger and leg injuries that will sideline him for at least a week.<\/p>\n

That setback looked insurmountable heading into Sacramento. Yet, behind Austin Reaves\u2019<\/a> career-best 51 points, the Lakers comfortably dismantled the Kings<\/a> \u2014 and they did it without Luka and LeBron James<\/a>. James remains out indefinitely with right sciatica, leaving Los Angeles to navigate choppy waters without its two brightest stars.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a week of turbulence and surprises \u2014 and these are the four biggest takeaways from the Lakers\u2019 rollercoaster opening week.<\/p>\n

Offense, Offense\u2026 And Just Enough Defense<\/h3>\n

If the Lakers plan to secure a top seed in the West, they\u2019ll need to lean into their offense. Through three games, they rank third in offensive rating \u2014 an encouraging sign, even with a small sample size.<\/p>\n

Last season, the league average for team scoring was 113.8 points per game. When the Lakers crossed 114 points, they went 32\u201311. When they didn\u2019t, they fell to 18\u201321. The math is simple: score more, win more.<\/p>\n

But outscoring teams isn\u2019t as easy as it sounds. Los Angeles can\u2019t afford to bleed points defensively. Instead, it must string together key stops in the third and fourth quarters \u2014 the stretches that often define games. The Timberwolves win proved this approach works, as the Lakers held Minnesota to just 16 points in the final frame.<\/p>\n

The blueprint is clear: unleash their firepower and tighten up just enough on defense to close games.<\/p>\n

Austin Reaves Is Playing Like An All-Star<\/h3>\n

Reaves\u2019 51-point outburst in Sacramento wasn\u2019t just a highlight; it was a revelation. The third-year guard showed total command of the Lakers\u2019 offense, operating like a seasoned floor general.<\/p>\n

Reaves, a natural combo guard, has always had playmaking instincts. But this version looks evolved \u2014 confident, patient, and capable of running the show when needed. Through three games, he\u2019s averaging 34 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists. Those numbers won\u2019t hold all season, but even if he settles around 25 points and seven assists per night, he puts himself in elite company.<\/p>\n

Only Devin Booker<\/a>, Jalen Brunson<\/a>, and Cade Cunningham<\/a> reached those averages last season \u2014 all All-Stars. Reaves may not be there yet, but his trajectory is impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n

Marcus Smart\u2019s Two-Way Impact Will Define The Season<\/h3>\n

The Lakers\u2019 rollercoaster start has also exposed their lack of athleticism outside of LeBron James<\/a>. That makes Marcus Smart\u2019s<\/a> role even more critical. He\u2019s not just the defensive anchor the team desperately needs \u2014 he\u2019s also become a stabilizing playmaker in J.J. Redick\u2019s up-tempo offense.<\/p>\n

Smart can run the floor, find teammates in transition, and set the tone defensively. His ability to read passing lanes and guard multiple positions gives the Lakers a defensive edge they sorely lacked. However, his shooting has been an issue \u2014 just 14.3 percent from three. That number will rise, but even when he misses, defenders still respect his shot, creating space for others to attack.<\/p>\n

Smart\u2019s box score might not always reflect his importance, but his presence changes how the Lakers function on both ends.<\/p>\n

Deandre Ayton Brings Stability To The Paint<\/h3>\n

Few expected Deandre Ayton<\/a> to end up in purple and gold before a quiet offseason buyout \u2014 but he\u2019s already proving useful. His rim protection and rebounding are solid, if not spectacular, but his offensive consistency has been a welcome surprise.<\/p>\n

Ayton\u2019s 22-point performance against the Kings gave the Lakers something they lacked last season: reliable scoring from the center position after trading away Anthony Davis<\/a>. His rebounding, averaging seven boards through the first two games before grabbing 15 in Sacramento, still needs improvement. But his potential impact remains undeniable.<\/p>\n

The Lakers don\u2019t need Ayton to be an All-Star. They just need him to anchor the paint and provide balance \u2014 something this roster has missed last season.<\/p>\n

The Road Ahead<\/h3>\n

As the Lakers head to Portland to face the Trail Blazers<\/a>, they carry both hope and uncertainty. Their offensive potential is sky-high, but their defensive discipline will determine how far they go.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a true rollercoaster of an opening week for the Lakers \u2014 thrilling, unpredictable, and full of promise. If they can sustain the highs and weather the lows, this season could turn from chaotic to compelling very quickly.<\/p>\n

Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES \u2014 The Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 opening week of their 79th season has been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. A humbling defeat to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on opening night set an uneasy tone. Within hours, frustration spilled across social media \u2014 and everyone except Luka Don\u010di\u0107 found themselves in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":164311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,26,3],"tags":[50244,4556,1419,1133,428],"class_list":["post-164353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-news","tag-2025-26-nba-season","tag-austin-reaves","tag-deandre-ayton","tag-luka-doncic","tag-marcus-smart"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164353"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":164363,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164353\/revisions\/164363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}