Lakers teammates took fewer shots with Luka Doncic in 2025-26; efficiency was mixed
Six Lakers rotation players all scored less and shot less with Luka Doncic on the floor than in games he missed, by 1.1 to 6.6 points a game. Their true shooting rose for three and fell for three, so the effect is on volume, not efficiency.
Published: · Figures as of October 29, 2026
Asked: Does building an offense around Luka put a ceiling on what his teammates can do?
Luka caps his teammates' shots and points, but not their efficiency
Last season (2025-26), six Lakers rotation players all scored less with Luka Doncic on the floor than in the games he missed. The drop ranged from 1.1 to 6.6 points a game, and every one of them took fewer shots. Efficiency did not fall with it. True shooting went up for three of the six and down for the other three.
| Player | With Luka (points per game) | Without Luka (points per game) |
|---|---|---|
| Reaves | 22.0 | 28.6 |
| LeBron | 20.7 | 22.2 |
| Hachimura | 10.0 | 15.8 |
| Ayton | 11.9 | 14.7 |
| Smart | 8.8 | 12.6 |
| LaRavia | 8.0 | 9.1 |
| Player | Games with / without | Shots per game | True shooting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Reaves | 41 / 10 | 14.6 / 16.3 | .631 / .675 |
| LeBron James | 49 / 11 | 14.9 / 17.0 | .603 / .559 |
| Rui Hachimura | 51 / 17 | 8.1 / 10.9 | .597 / .669 |
| Deandre Ayton | 58 / 14 | 7.8 / 10.4 | .685 / .649 |
| Marcus Smart | 53 / 9 | 7.2 / 10.7 | .549 / .522 |
| Jake LaRavia | 64 / 18 | 6.3 / 6.6 | .564 / .595 |
Reaves has the clearest cost. He scored 22.0 points a game on .631 true shooting with Luka, against 28.6 on .675 without. Hachimura's true shooting fell from .669 to .597, and Ayton, James and Smart shot better with Luka. The ceiling is on volume, and the efficiency effect depends on the player.
The offense as a whole is not capped. The Lakers are 78-43 since February 4, 2025 with him, scoring 116.3 points a game. Through five games this season their offensive rating is 121.9, third among the 30 teams with a figure, behind Portland at 124.7 and Houston at 122.7. Doncic is scoring 36.0 points a game and Reaves 24.4 on .738 true shooting. That is a different supporting cast from last year's, so it does not test the question.
The without-Luka samples are 9 to 18 games per player, against varying opponents and rest. The data shows teammates' shots going to Luka but not whether a better-built roster would get them back. The only game he has missed this season, a 103-87 win at the Clippers on October 28, is too small to read.
Confidence: Medium. The volume drop appeared for all six players, but the without-Luka samples are small. A larger sample of games without him, or a full season with this roster, would change the efficiency read.