Luka Doncic leads the Lakers, and Bill Simmons can’t stand it
Bill Simmons maybe it takes a moment. The longtime NBA analyst and podcaster took to social media Tuesday night as Los Angeles Lakers continued their red-hot start to the season, and Luka Doncic had another superstar. Simmons’ reaction said what many bemused NBA fans are thinking: “In 2025, the Lakers went from literally falling apart AD and the exuberant Buss kids to hitting his prime Luke and the smart owner of the Dodgers. They’re still dealing with this.”
The Lakers improved to 13-4 after a 135-118 win over the LA Clippers, thanks to a vintage-yet-new-era performance from Doncic. The 26-year-old guard exploded for 43 points, 13 assists and 9 rebounds, controlling the game from the opening tip and outpacing a Clippers roster that was built to contend.
Doncic set the tone early, tying his season high with 32 points in the first half, attacking switches, burying contested threes and manipulating pick-and-roll coverage with surgical precision. The Clippers showed doubles, traps and bodies in help, but none of it mattered.
But off the table, Doncic’s night etched him deeper into Lakers lore. The performance marked his seventh 40-point game as a Laker, passing Magic Johnson for 10th on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. He also tied Johnson for the sixth-most 40-point double-double in team history with six, and he did it less than two months into the Lakers’ tenure.
For years, the Lakers’ identity revolved around aging stars, questionable roster construction and financial constraints. Now? They look like one of the most explosive, streamlined offenses in basketball, with Doncic running the show and LeBron James provides leadership and timely scoring.
The Lakers have now won five straight, and the combination of momentum, star power and high-level execution has analysts, including Simmons, reevaluating the NBA hierarchy.
The league knew that the arrival of Luka Doncic to the Lakers would change things.
No one expected it to happen this quickly.
2025-11-26 14:06:00
