The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a phenomenal start, perhaps better than what most experts expected from them.
After all, ahead of their NBA Cup quarter-final matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers currently hold the second seed in the Western Conference.
They have a 17-6 record, and the biggest surprise is that the Purple and Gold have played the majority of games without LeBron James.
NBA legend Reggie Miller recently shared his honest thoughts on the Lakers’ piping hot start to the 2025-26 season.
Reggie Miller didn’t expect the LA Lakers to be ‘this good’
The reason behind the Lakers’ early-season success has been the dominant performance of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
After all, the 17-time NBA champions’ backcourt duo is averaging a combined 63.4 points per game. They have essentially pushed James to be the third option on the team.
Miller reflected on that, stating: “We didn’t think Luka and the Lakers would be this good. No one thought LeBron would be the third wheel on this team, which he is, and that’s a heck of a third wheel to have.”
He added on The Dan Patrick Show: “Austin Reaves is playing like an All-Star in a contract year. I didn’t have the Lakers being this good.”
With Doncic and Reaves in the primes of their careers, it’s only natural for them to be the team’s heart and soul.
Despite that, Miller has one huge concern about the Purple and Gold heading deep into the regular season.
Injuries will derail the LA Lakers’ hot start, says Reggie Miller
The Lakers’ starting lineup is second to none this season. At the same time, they have the worst bench in the league. In fact, the Lakers’ bench scored a season-low 10 points vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.
In that case, even one serious injury to Doncic or Reaves could prove catastrophic for the Lakers, and that’s Miller’s biggest worry about the Western Conference side.
“The question going forward, can they sustain it? Health will be a big issue, in my opinion, for the Lakers,” he concluded.
It will be interesting to see whether injuries become a problem for the Lakers or whether they’ll prove their doubters wrong once again.
- Read More: LA Lakers have the best starting unit in NBA, but their terrible bench can cause problems
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