The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2024-25 season with a 6-6 record, averaging 109.3 points per game without LeBron James. Even 43 points from Luka Dončić couldn’t lift them past the Golden State Warriors, who opened the new season with a 119-109 victory on Tuesday. Still, a certain WNBA legend believes LeBron’s presence could make a difference for the Lakers in the future, despite recent results suggesting otherwise. Now, back on the hardwood against the Timberwolves—LeBron-less once again—it seems that prediction might finally be showing some truth.

The Lakers came out on top with a 128-110 win against the Timberwolves, proving Candace Parker’s prediction might hold true. During the game, she had said, “Potentially, this could, in the long run, end up being great for the Lakers because you think about the roles these guys gonna have to settle into with LeBron out, there’s a huge hole in terms of ball handling responsibilities, playmaking, and all of those things. When LeBron’s back, it’s going to be easier.”

The spotlight was firmly on Luka Dončić as the Lakers took on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and the star didn’t disappoint. Fresh off an impressive performance against the Warriors, Doncic continued his scoring streak, logging 35 minutes with 49 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. He shot 14-of-23 from the field, added five 3-pointers, and made 16-of-19 free throws, committing just three turnovers.

By scoring at least 40 points for a second straight game, Doncic became only the fourth player in NBA history to open a season with back-to-back 40-point games, joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Anthony Davis.

Supporting Doncic, Austin Reaves added 25 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, Rui Hachimura chipped in 23 points, and Deandre Ayton finished with 15 points. Even with LeBron James watching from the bench in his son Bryce’s Arizona Wildcats jersey, the Lakers looked cohesive, proving that they could still run the show without their superstar.

Bronny James made his season debut, logging just over three minutes in the last moments, but the team didn’t need him to secure the win. The Timberwolves’ defense struggled all night, allowing the Lakers to shoot nearly 60% and pull away in the third quarter, earning Los Angeles a 128-110 victory.

Still, there were cracks in the Lakers’ armor. Minnesota’s Naz Reid, who signed a $125 million contract to provide scoring, was completely ineffective, finishing with just five points and a minus-15 rating in 23 minutes.

Veteran bench players Mike Conley and Shannon also struggled, with Conley picking up four fouls in nine minutes and scoring zero points, while Shannon played 13 sloppy minutes with no points and two turnovers. Even young guard Rob Dillingham had a rough night, exiting just 59 seconds after checking in due to a bloody nose.

On the injury front, backup center Jaxson Hayes was listed as questionable with left knee soreness, while Maxi Kleber was sidelined, leaving Christian Koloko as the only backup for Ayton. Despite these concerns, the Lakers showed they could compete and even thrive without LeBron on the floor, though the team will need contributions from their bench and healthy rotations to maintain consistency.

The game highlighted both the potential and the areas of concern as Los Angeles navigates a LeBron-less stretch of the season.

HC JJ Redick is aware of the impact of LeBron James’ absence

LeBron James didn’t play at all during the preseason and has been sidelined for the start of the regular season for 3–4 weeks (the first time in his career!) due to a nerve irritation that turned out to be sciatica. While the Lakers were already building their team around Luka Dončić, considering this is his 23rd season and retirement might be just around the corner, the team had hoped to rely on him this year, and head coach JJ Redick was fully aware of that. 

After the Lakers fell to the Warriors 119-109 in the season opener on Tuesday, Reddick admitted, “I’ll be honest with you, I did have one moment in that first half when we had a few possessions we couldn’t score against the zone it’d be great to have LeBron just to throw it to in the high post.”

In their matchup against the Warriors, the Lakers didn’t necessarily struggle, but something was clearly missing. They shot 54.7% from the field, yet in the first quarter, there was a stretch of over three minutes without a single basket: a frustrating drought that probably had Coach Redick thinking about LeBron James on the bench.

During that time, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves carried the team, combining for more than 60% of the Lakers’ points, showing they could step up while also highlighting the gap left without LeBron. Maybe that’s why the team could survive even without him.

The Lakers clearly have confidence in themselves and feel more than capable of handling the season, even without LeBron. It starts with Luka Dončić, who has proven his worth this offseason in Europe. His physical and mental transformation only reinforces that belief. But Dončić won’t carry the burden alone. He plans to share the responsibility with rising backcourt star Austin Reaves.

Reaves explained the mindset perfectly: “It’s next man up mentality. Nobody’s going to fill what he does with one person. I can’t go be LeBron. I wish I could, but yeah, I think you have to do it as a collective group, and that’s what we’ll do.”

The Lakers’ backcourt is already strong, but their biggest offseason boost comes from Deandre Ayton. Over seven seasons, he’s averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds, and without LeBron on the floor, Ayton’s touches and production are expected only to rise. 

Another man who is expected to see a rise? Gabe Vincent. He was added to the starting lineup as LeBron’s temporary replacement. While no one can replicate LeBron, Vincent showed his value by scoring 14 points in the preseason finale, proving he can contribute meaningfully.

So the Lakers have more than enough cards, which they are planning to disclose, and we might see them shine with LeBron out or even when LeBron comes back.