The Los Angeles Lakers sit at 11-4 through the first 15 games of the 2025-26 NBA season. It’s extremely impressive for them to be at that figure, as LeBron James has played in one game, while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have each missed time as well. But a deeper dive into the numbers show that the Lakers are still a somewhat flawed team that has important fixes to make.
One of those fixes has been their transition offense, a somewhat surprising issue for a team led by Doncic and Reaves. But through 14 games — prior to James’ season debut — the Lakers ranked 27th in the NBA in fastbreak points. They scored just 12.6 points per game in that way, only ahead of the Charlotte Hornets, L.A. Clippers and Brooklyn Nets. They sat almost 10 full points behind the No. 1 fastbreak team, the Toronto Raptors.
In LeBron’s debut, the Lakers scored 15 points in transition, which is slightly better but still could be improved upon. Doncic, though, was excited to have his superstar teammate back because of everything that he brings to a team.
“He makes things easier,” Doncic said of James. “He’s another player that can create, score and do a lot of things.”
Where LeBron can particularly help, though, is in the fastbreak offense. Doncic explained exactly what James does well to help in transition and what his return can do for the Lakers.
“Yeah, I mean, he’s an amazing transition player,” Doncic said. “We always tell him that we appreciate his throw-aheads. We could do it even more, especially with LeBron back. His pace in transition is insane, so he’s going to help us a lot to get easy buckets.”
The Lakers have been in the top half of offensive rating so far this season, but there’s no reason a team with all this offensive talent shouldn’t be at least in the top ten. And the lacking transition offense has been a major reason for that.
LeBron should definitely help the Lakers play faster and more freely, with fastbreak opportunities coming from his incredible IQ.
If the Lakers become even a league-average team in transition, then there offense should absolutely vault itself into the top 10 of the league.
JJ Redick calls LeBron James “all good” after season debut
LeBron James was finally able to make his 2025-26 season debut this past week, helping the Lakers to a comeback win against the Utah Jazz.
James took a couple of quarters to get his rhythm back, but he eventually looked more like himself when he continually found teammates wide open for easy baskets. LeBron finished the night with a double-double of 11 points and 12 assists, looking content to let Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves take care of the scoring.
After the game, James admitted that he was still getting his wind following his long layoff playing basketball but it was expected. At his age and with all the miles on his body, it’s important that the Lakers are cautious with the star as he continues to ramp up.
With Los Angeles off for four days, they managed to get a practice in and head coach JJ Redick gave a positive update on how James’ body responded.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!