Luka Doncic leads the NBA in first-quarter scoring. He’s averaging 12.3 points in the opening frame. In the first 12 minutes, the Los Angeles Lakers’ star is also knocking down 3.9 field goals per game. That, too, is more than anyone else in the Association, per NBA.com.
From there, the scoring doesn’t stop. Doncic is also the league’s leading scorer. He’s generating 35.1 points per contest. Between his offensive output and the benefits of a leaner physique, this could be the season the five-time All-NBA First Team selection earns his first league MVP award.
Even with LeBron James missing most of the start of the current campaign, Doncic’s outstanding play and the evolution of Austin Reaves have led the Lakers to a 14-4 start. That’s the second-best record in the Western Conference.
It all begins with their ability to get off to a fast start consistently. Los Angeles’s head coach, JJ Redick, recently explained what’s at the root of Doncic’s first-frame dominance.
Lakers listening to Luka Doncic
Some stars prefer to let the game come to them. They start by focusing more on getting their teammates in rhythm. Once they’ve diagnosed how the opposition is defending them, and they’ve helped establish everyone else, they showcase what they’re capable of as scorers.
However, that’s not how Doncic operates. Instead, he prefers to establish himself quickly. Whether he’s on the Lakers, participating in international competition, or when he was with the Dallas Mavericks, that tends to be in the best interest of his team.
By establishing himself early, Doncic can force opponents to send multiple defenders at him, creating a numbers advantage that can produce quality looks for his teammates.
As JJ Redick explained to Raj Chipalu of Lakers Today, it’s in the best interest of Doncic and the team to lean into the five-time All-Star’s personal preference.
“That’s part of his calculus into winning a basketball game is establishing himself early so that then teams have to start making decisions on his iso and on his pick-and-rolls and on his post-ups,” said Redick. “He invites two on the ball. He invites it. He wants to play with two on the ball so that he can get everyone else going. So, sometimes you don’t have to have a 20-point first quarter, and teams will do it. And sometimes you need to establish yourself as a scorer. But I like the mindset to come out and get us going offensively.”
