LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are unexpectedly thriving in this year’s NBA playoffs without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, building a commanding 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round Western Conference series.
While many view LA’s strong start as merely buying time for its star backcourt to return, veteran NBA analyst Skip Bayless believes James and Co. may be better off without Dončić.
Skip Bayless Blasts Luka Dončić’s ‘Showtime Laker’ Playstyle, Backs LeBron James’ Leadership
The Lakers were firing on all cylinders prior to Dončić suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and Reaves sustaining a Grade 2 left oblique strain on April 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The devastating setbacks, which came amid a 139-96 blowout road loss, sidelined the stars for the final five outings of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs.
As a result, the fourth-seeded Lakers (53-29) entered Round 1 as a heavy underdog against the fifth-seeded Kevin Durant-led Rockets (52-30), with many concerned about their lack of shot creation.
However, the Lakers have dug in defensively, with 41-year-old James settling back into a versatile playmaking role after previously taking a back seat offensively to Dončić and Reaves.
The 22-time All-Star’s vintage play through two postseason outings, including a historic 28-point performance in Tuesday’s 101-94 Game 2 home win, has fueled optimism that LA can defy the odds and advance to the second round.
James’ on-court leadership also has Bayless questioning Dončić’s true value to the Purple and Gold despite the 27-year-old wrapping up a league-leading scoring campaign (33.5 points per game). The longtime pundit cited the six-time All-Star’s ball-dominant playstyle, questionable shot selection, and subpar defense as factors working against the Lakers when he’s available.
“I just think they’re a little better basketball team on both ends of the floor without Luka,” Bayless began during Wednesday’s edition of “Gil’s Arena.”
“The last time I saw Luka in the lineup was against a really good team on April 2 at Oklahoma City, and it was 44-21 after the first quarter, and it was 82-51 at halftime. And last night, and obviously in Game 1, I saw a team with LeBron orchestrating. LeBron has far less ego than Luka does. Luka has to be the whole show, and obviously, [he] can be a defensive liability, but Luka is the most inefficient player in the league.
“He obviously is an offensive scoring genius, but he led the league in shots attempted per game, he led the league in 3-point attempts per game, he led the league in free-throw attempts per game, and he led the league in turnovers. He also led the league in scoring, but he’s the ‘Showtime Laker’ singular, where the whole show, the whole world revolves around Luka.”
Bayless went on to laud LA’s postseason camaraderie on both ends of the court in Dončić’s absence.
“Last night, especially on defense, I saw connection, I saw trust, I saw positivity and momentum on defense that fed the offense,” Bayless observed.
Skip Bayless questions whether the Lakers are better off without Luka 👀
“I just think they’re a little better basketball team on both ends of the floor without Luka. LeBron has far less ego than Luka does. Luka has to be the whole show.” pic.twitter.com/QwsBUxslvm
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) April 22, 2026
Despite Bayless’ hot take, the Lakers’ early playoff success has come against an offensively challenged Houston squad lacking a true floor general that faced numerous questions about its chemistry down the stretch of the regular season.
If LA advances beyond Round 1, it will almost certainly be tasked with matching up against the NBA-best Thunder (64-18) in Round 2. The defending NBA champions boast arguably the league’s best shot creator in reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with the top team defense.
As such, the Lakers would likely need Dončić and Reaves’ offensive contributions to have a chance of pulling off an upset, with OKC sure to make life harder on James.
