Luka Doncic Accepts Blame on Deandre Ayton’s Lack of Involvement 

Luka Doncic delivered an impressive efficiency in his first sport of the 2025-26 NBA season. Nonetheless, it wasn’t sufficient to raise the LA Lakers previous the Golden State Warriors, as they misplaced 119-109 on Tuesday.

Among the blame fell on Deandre Ayton, who struggled on each ends of the ground in his first official sport underneath JJ Redick’s tutelage. He completed with simply ten factors on seven photographs, including six rebounds and one block.

Per Doncic, nevertheless, it was his accountability to ensure the previous No. 1 decide really feel snug within the offense.

“I believe he prefers that pocket cross I haven’t performed I don’t assume with a middle like that,” Doncic mentioned (per TalkBasket.web). “I’ve to do a greater job simply speaking to him like what I need, what he needs and right now it was on me and I didn’t give him sufficient touches.”

There’ll naturally be an adjustment interval, but it surely was nonetheless regarding for the Lakers. Ayton has typically been criticized for lapses in defensive depth and offensive focus, and the Lakers want to make sure these points do not linger all through the season.

Luka Doncic assesses the Lakers after first sport of the season

The Lakers had been shut, trailing by only one level on the finish of the second half. Nonetheless, because the Warriors typically do, they stretched the lead within the third quarter. Whereas the Lakers made a late run to make issues attention-grabbing, it merely wasn’t sufficient.

Per Luka Doncic, that needs to be some extent of emphasis going ahead, as that they had an inclination to get off to sluggish begins earlier than the second halves final season.

“Actually, I’d say that the third quarter, the beginning. I believe we had this drawback final yr too, so I believe that was many of the drawback,” Doncic mentioned.

Doncic was dominant all through the course of the entire sport, and hinted at taking a extra aggressive strategy on offense this season.

“Simply assault the paint after which I believe once I assault the paint higher issues occur for our workforce,” Doncic added.

The previous Actual Madrid star completed the sport with 43 factors, 12 assists and 9 rebounds on 12-of-27 from the ground, 2-of-10 from three, and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line, and he’ll need to do a variety of heavy lifting with LeBron James set to overlook a number of weeks whereas he continues to nurse a sciatica harm.