LeBron James will not play in the opening game as he will be sidelined for several weeks with sciatica. The Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to start the season strong, but with one of their star players out, Luka Doncic will be their only active superstar.
The Los Angeles Lakers are assembling a strong roster for the 2025-26 season. They have Luka Doncic as their biggest star, who signed a new contract extension. Doncic and LeBron James were supposed to get off to a strong start to the season as a superstar duo.
Unfortunately, James suffered a sciatica injury that could cause him to miss several games. Missing the start of the season could have significant implications for the Lakers, as the Western Conference is full of good teams.
Doncic and the rest of the team will have to do some of the heavy lifting. Austin Reeves and Deandre Ayton will be key players supporting Doncic offensively, while players like Rui Hachimura, Jared Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia will need to step up at the forward positions in James’ absence.
This injury is tough news for the Lakers, as James is still a productive player. He only missed 12 games in the 2024-25 season. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game with solid efficiency.
It would be a huge blow for the Lakers to miss that type of production, as they would have played well had they had a solid training camp together. Unfortunately, that sciatica derailed the Lakers’ plans, so fans should be worried.
Not only was he a reliable scorer, but he was also an excellent playmaker. Head coach JJ Redick will have to make a major adjustment, which will likely require Doncic to take more control than he has in his tenure with the Lakers. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin thinks this is a significant loss for the Lakers.
“This is going to be about Luka Doncic. He signed an extension in the offseason. He’s 26 years old. He’s in the prime of his career, and the Lakers see this as an opportunity for him to establish himself as the face of the franchise on an interim basis,” McMenamin said on NBA Today.
“We get to see what the rest of the Lakers’ roster looks like. Rob Pelinka was able to turn a lot of assets into viable strong players like Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRabia, and Marcus Smart. Let’s see how they fit in.”
“LeBron has to watch while he’s out. If they’re struggling, that could be the next step…Rich Paul said LeBron will be watching the Lakers’ every move because the priority is winning. If they can’t win, maybe LeBron might have to go elsewhere.”
James will miss a good portion of the first month of the season, so Doncic and the rest of the team will have to perform well from the jump. If they lose too many games early on, it may be difficult to come back even with James in the lineup.
It’s up to Doncic and Redick to get this team off to a strong start. If the team can maintain a strong level without James, the four-time champion will be a more natural fit to return to the team. With James back, they don’t have to push too hard.
This will be a challenge as the Lakers have many new players joining the team. Ayton, Marcus Smart and LaRavia are expected to play important roles, but will have to perform well to impress the coaching staff and fans.
If the Lakers don’t get off to a strong start, they may have to worry about James’ expiring contract. Rich Paul already gave them a warning during the offseason, which could lead to James leaving midway through the season and leaving the Lakers permanently without their second superstar.