The Lakers win more than they play: a silent alert in the Doncic-LeBron era

At first glance, the start of the 2025-26 Los Angeles Lakers season seems solid. The team of Luka Doncic and LeBron James remains at high positions in the West, and their winning percentage is clearly positive. However, scratching beyond the surface of the record reveals signs that invite caution, rarely accompanying truly dominant projects.

The Lakers are winning games despite being surpassed in total points. Their negative differential, coupled with a net rating also in the red, places them in a statistically unusual position. In fact, there are no modern precedents of a team with such a high winning percentage that, at the same time, is being outscored by their opponents overall. NBA history suggests that these profiles tend to correct themselves over the months, almost always downward.

The data is not insignificant. Over decades, teams that have survived with negative differentials have ended up adjusting their reality to the numbers. Even remarkable cases from the past, like the 1950s Knicks or some Lakers of the 90s, ended far from realistic title aspirations. In this context, what is happening now in Los Angeles does not seem like a sustainable anomaly, but rather a warning.

Part of the focus has inevitably fallen on LeBron James. His statistical impact on the court is more negative than ever before in his career, something that occurred sporadically last season. At almost 41 years old, James remains competitive, but the numbers reflect that the team performs worse when he is on the court. It is not a direct accusation but rather a symptom of a collective that lacks stability.

The context doesn't help either. Absences of Austin Reaves, the inconsistency of several role players, and the lack of defensive continuity have been recurring issues. JJ Redick himself has been particularly critical of the group's attitude, pointing to a lack of commitment to the basic details of the game. His messages, reiterated and direct, speak of a locker room that has not fully embraced what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Luka Doncic, expected to be the cornerstone of the medium-term project, has also publicly acknowledged that something is not working. Far from pointing fingers at others, he has taken responsibility and called for a collective response, even anticipating uncomfortable conversations within the team. His words reinforce the sense that the problem is not tactical or temporary but rather structural.

Risk for the Lakers

The major risk for the Lakers is that their current record may be masking a fragile reality. Winning close games without dominating the play is usually a short-term strategy. If the margins do not change and the differential remains negative, the adjustment may come in the form of consecutive losses, especially when the schedule tightens.

For now, Los Angeles lives in a statistical contradiction: winning like a contender but playing like a vulnerable team. LeBron's experience and Doncic's talent keep the team afloat, but NBA history makes it clear that this kind of balance rarely lasts an entire season. The warning is there; now it remains to be seen if the Lakers can correct it in time.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Lakers ganan más de lo que juegan: una alerta silenciosa en la era Doncic–LeBron