The Athletic NBA Daily

Episode Title: Is this Lakers team championship level?
Date: September 29, 2025
Hosts: Dave DuFour & Dan Woike
Theme:
A comprehensive, insider-driven breakdown of the new-look Los Angeles Lakers—headlined by Luka Dončić, LeBron James, offseason additions, major questions, and whether this roster has real championship potential heading into the 2025-26 NBA season.

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode provides a deep-dive analysis into the Los Angeles Lakers' offseason, their retooled championship hopes, and the key changes reshaping the roster’s identity. Hosts Dave DuFour and Dan Woike scrutinize whether the Lakers’ new core, the integration of Luka Dončić, roster questions, player development, and veteran expectations add up to a legitimate title-contending team.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Luka Dončić's Transformation & Fit with the Lakers

• Offseason Fitness and Mindset
  • Dončić arrived at EuroBasket fit and noticeably slimmer, a transformation attributed to increased personal discipline, Dallas’ messaging about conditioning, and the pressure/desire for a massive contract.
    “He looks skinny, looked fit. This guy apparently took to heart all of the things coming out of Dallas… he looks pretty good now.” —Dan Woike (01:58)
  • Dave DuFour explains the “mid-20s realization” (like Jokic's) that has seemingly pushed Luka to improve his body and habits.
• On-court Impact
  • Dončić displayed better burst, especially attacking double teams—"way faster... going through your double team, going around your double team," rather than just accepting them. (03:37)
  • Increased defensive activity observed—“Not going to be Tony Allen, but... more active defensively... just more burst.” —Dave DuFour (04:56)
• Potential with LeBron and Austin Reaves
  • The combination is “exciting,” with the challenge of making it “work together” a key theme for the new season.

2. Lakers Offense & LeBron’s Shifting Role

• The expectation is that Luka will be fully embedded in the offensive plan now, rather than integrated on-the-fly (as last season). The onus will be on optimizing player fit, especially with LeBron shifting into more of a screener/play-finisher.
  “Stuff they can do with Luka, LeBron pick-and-rolls... should be exciting.”—Dave DuFour (05:47)
• LeBron’s ability to adapt tied closely to his evolving defensive responsibilities (26:05).
  “He could have like an all time high-impact… 22, 9 and 9 type of season.” —Dave DuFour (27:03)

3. Roster Upgrades, Depth, & Major Question Marks

• Deandre Ayton Acquisition
  • Ayton is seen as a major talent upgrade and a pivotal swing factor. “Deandre Ayton's the most interesting guy on the team. He has the highest variance… If he has a good year, maybe they're contenders.” —Dave DuFour (15:02, 37:03)
• Marcus Smart
  • New addition expected to anchor point-of-attack defense, but there’s skepticism about whether he can get back to even a "very good" version after time lost to injuries/aging.
• Depth/Rotation Candidates
  • Rui Hachimura likely to start for continuity and fit; his corner three-point shooting and defense slot in well alongside Luka (10:12).
  • Jake LaRavia a potential “winning” role player; Dalton Knecht is considered intriguing mainly for trade value.
• Questions:
  • Primary concerns revolve around perimeter defense, integration of Smart, and interior scoring/defense consistency.
  • Uncertainty over the back end of the rotation, including the future of Jared Vanderbilt (durability/shooting issues), and how fringe or young players could contribute.

4. Breakout and Development Candidates

• Austin Reaves
  • Steady improvement each year; his ability to join “closer” status alongside LeBron/Luka is watched closely: “Will there be a leap?... it’s not even a statistical thing; does he elevate himself onto a closer tier?” —Dave DuFour (12:43)
• Bronny James
  • Considered a G League candidate, but has genuinely impressed the organization with defensive potential and growing confidence. “The biggest thing with Bronny James… is his confidence... he needs to be in awesome, awesome shape.” —Dave DuFour (21:20)

5. Internal Development, Defensive Identity & Team Ceiling

• Defense:
  • Main query: will the team defend well enough? Smart, Vanderbilt, LaRavia all part of this puzzle.
  • “You have to shoot (threes) if you play with Luka.” —Dave DuFour, on defensive rotations and the necessity for non-shooters to evolve (31:10)
  • Rebounding expected to be much improved with Luka, LeBron, Ayton—a potential strength (33:25).
• Trade Market/Asset Situation:
  • Lakers assets (mostly expiring contracts, and minimal draft capital) limit trade-upside unless a top-tier wing becomes available (discussion of Andrew Wiggins, Derrick Jones Jr., Herb Jones as hypothetical fits).
  • Dalton Knecht and Austin Reaves have some value, but Lakers likely to hang on unless value improves substantially (15:47-18:30).

6. Candid Team Outlook — Are They Title Contenders?

• The organization and hosts agree the Lakers are on the tier of legitimate contenders, if not clear favorites.
  “If it's a two-floor building—can you win/can you not—Lakers are on the ‘can you win’ floor. But if it's seven floors, they're not at the top.” —Dave DuFour (33:56)
• Key X-factors:
  • Ayton having an above-average season at center tips the scales.
  • LeBron’s defensive energy, integration of new additions, and durability.
  • Star power (Luka, LeBron, Reaves) as top-3 foundation.
• Laughter and quips about Ayton’s outsized importance:
  “Dan Woike comes on the pod and says, Deandre Ayton’s the most important player in the league. Sure. Clip it.” —Dave DuFour/Dan Woike (37:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Luka’s growth:
  “The biggest thing I saw from him in Europe was… more burst. And… more active defensively.”—Dave DuFour (04:54)
• On Lakers offense post-trade:
  “How big is your memory of what the Lakers were last year after the trade?”—Dave DuFour (05:47)
• On Austin Reaves:
  “Does he elevate himself onto a closer tier…?”—Dave DuFour (12:43)
• On Bronny James:
  “He needs to be… in awesome, awesome shape. And… go in and play like six or seven minutes of just… high octane defense. And that's exhausting.”—Dave DuFour (21:20)
• On the pecking order:
  “This will be the longest he’s (LeBron) played ever on a team where he’s not the most important player. And that’s wild.” —Dave DuFour (27:38)
• On defense and effort:
  “It’s hard to be a bad defensive team if you play really hard.” —Dave DuFour (33:21)
• Championship tier analogy:
  “If it's a two floor building… Lakers would be on that floor (can win)... if it's seven floors, they're not at the top.” —Dave DuFour (33:56)

Important Timestamps

• Luka Dončić's Summer & Transformation — 01:58–04:56
• Fit with LeBron, Expectations for Offense — 05:21–07:00
• Deandre Ayton’s Role and Question Marks — 07:31–10:12; 15:02; 37:01
• Projected Starting Lineup/Bench Fit — 10:00–12:25
• Austin Reaves’ Breakout Potential — 12:43–13:47
• Trade and Asset Discussion — 15:46–18:30
• Bronny James’ Development & Role — 20:37–25:27
• LeBron’s Adaptation & Defensive Value — 25:27–29:11
• Vanderbilt vs. LaRavia and Defensive Questions — 29:11–33:25
• Final Contender Outlook & Championship Ceiling — 33:56–38:09

Tone & Style Highlights

• Analytical yet conversational, rich with organizational insight and off-court context.
• Honest, sometimes playful: frequent jokes about meme culture (e.g., “three-headed dragon with Austin Reaves’ face”), team-building analogies (“two floors,” “seven floors”), and poking fun at internal Lakers debates.
• Frequent peeks behind the curtain using reporting, unnamed sources, and direct conversations with Lakers’ staff.

Final Takeaways

• The Lakers enter the season as credible contenders—if not at the very peak of the NBA hierarchy—with their fate closely tied to Luka Dončić’s growth, LeBron’s continued adaptation, and Deandre Ayton’s consistency.
• The team is deeper and more versatile than last year, but open questions on defense, trade flexibility, and role player contributions will define whether they break through.
• As Dan Woike jokes at the end: “So you’re saying there’s a chance.” (36:52)
• And Dave DuFour drives the Ayton point home: “Let’s just set the line: If (Ayton’s) one of the 15 best starting centers in the NBA next year, that’s a pretty talented top part of your roster.” (37:34)