About an hour before Friday’s final Lakers preseason game, Luka Doncic hit the court at Crypto.com Arena for his usual shooting routine. He wrapped up with two half-court attempts, one swished, leaving the crowd stunned, signed some autographs, and headed to the locker room. A little later, LeBron James made his way onto the court, cap turned backward, and took a seat at the end of the bench. A sight that must have made his fans pretty sad. He’s been out with sciatica on his right side and is expected to miss games until November.

And amidst that, with the season opener against the Golden State Warriors looming, Doncic knows that he will have to lead the Lakers himself. While he is committed to doing so in the best manner he knows, recently, he couldn’t help but reflect on his boyhood idol’s absence.

Luka acknowledged the pressure, while speaking in a press conference, “Going against Steph will be tough. I’m excited to start,” he said. “I don’t know about rivalry, but yeah, it’s going to be special,” before adding, “It’ll be tough without LeBron,” he admitted. “Steph’s hard to guard, he’s always running.” 

Well Luka is right. Stephen Curry and LeBron James have faced each other 56 times in the NBA (regular season + playoffs) according to one source. Of those 56 games, Curry’s warriors have won 30 times.

Stephen Curry will now lead the Warriors in his 17th season. His playing style is known by all. It is about speed, shooting, and movement. He’s known for changing the game with his three-point shooting. He hits shots from 30 feet out that most players wouldn’t attempt. Curry constantly moves without the ball, using screens and quick cuts to get open, which makes him very hard to guard. He’s also an excellent ball handler, able to create his own shot with quick crossovers and hesitation moves.

• Career average: 24.7 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds per game

• Three-point percentage: 42.6% (highest among players with over 5,000 attempts)

• All-time leader in made three-pointers -over 3,700 and counting

• 2× MVP, 4× NBA Champion, 1× Finals MVP, 10× All-Star

Similarly, LeBron James’ influence on the Los Angeles Lakers has been monumental since his arrival in 2018. His presence transformed the franchise culminating in the 2020 NBA championship.

James has been sidelined with sciatica, a nerve irritation affecting his lower back and leg. It ruled him out for at least the opening stretch of the season. His absence not only deprives the Lakers of their primary playmaker. As analysts have noted, James’ absence “alters the competitive landscape,” particularly in marquee matchups like the season opener against the Golden State Warriors. But no James on the court means we will see more of Luka.

Luka Doncic, 26, is quickly becoming the Lakers’ go-to guy. His three-year, $165.3 million extension this summer confirmed he’s committed to the team after the blockbuster trade from the Mavericks. In just two preseason games, he’s shown he can run the show while LeBron recovers, putting up 28 points, 6.5 assists, and 6 rebounds, and shooting over 50% from three.

Beyond the stats, he’s already leading by example, urging teammates onto the court with a “next man up” attitude.

“It’s a big change,” Doncic said earlier. “He’s a great player. He (James) can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next-man up. We got a group of guys that have been practicing and hopefully LeBron can join us as soon as possible. We are going to obviously need him. But our mentality has got to be next-man up. That’s it.”

Luka Doncic carries the load as Warriors prepare for a familiar challenge

Doncic enters the 2025-26 campaign after averaging 28.2 points and 7.7 assists last season between Dallas and Los Angeles. His career usage rate of 35.5% isthe highest in NBA history, according to Basketball Reference. His ball dominance is unmatched. So, he will be an equally challenging opponent for the Warriors.

Head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the difficulty of defending Doncic, calling him “an unstoppable force with his pace, his strength, and the way he shoots the ball behind his head.” With LeBron unavailable, that offensive burden only increases as the Lakers look to Luka to initiate plays.

The Warriors are not unfamiliar with Luka’s game. They faced him in 2022, where Luka averaged 32 points with the Mavs, but he showed little to no defensive play. And Steve Kerr’s players know this well. “He looks like he’s in good shape, but he’s still the same player he’s been since the moment he stepped on the court years ago,” Kerr said.

So, Golden State has already built a defensive system tailor-made to counter stars like Doncic. Then there is athletic supporting cast. Draymond Green has generally defended James, but sliding over to Doncic at times should not be a problem. “I like to think of myself as a pretty smart basketball player, and Al is smart is hell,” Draymond Green said in a recent press conference.

40 years old Al Horford is a new addition, but he is one of the smartest big man defenders in the game. Then there is, Gui Santos, who has his own insights on playing Luka. Hesaid that slowing the superstar is not a one-man deal.“Every time you defend him, you have to have a team defense and people behind you helping you,” Santos said. “Draymond’s going to be there to help, Jimmy, all these guys are going to be on him too.” Jimmy Butler is also one of the game’s top wing defenders who could impact Doncic with his athleticism.

But Steve Kerr has his own strategies ready. As he reflects “Everybody loves playing in LA … It’s obviously a historic franchise, it’s a great city, and there’s a vibe in the building because of who is there and all the banners hanging up there, playing the Lakers will always be special.”

When they last met on April 3, the Warriors contained Doncic to 19 points on 6-for-17 shooting. Essentially forcing him into six missed three-pointers while Curry exploded for 37 points. This resulted in a 123-116 win. Now we watch how this match unfolds.