Los Angeles — ESPN analyst Zach Kram reports the Los Angeles Lakers tapped into an almost unguardable action last season but relied on it sparingly: the pick-and-roll between LeBron James and mid-season acquisition Luka Doncic.
According to Kram, the duo ran only 4.4 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions during the 2024-25 regular season. That figure trails previous combinations featuring James, such as his pairings with Kyrie Irving (15.1) and Austin Reaves (11.3). Usage increased in the postseason to 9.2 per 100 possessions, with James typically setting the screen for Doncic, and those plays produced more than 1.2 points each time they directly led to a shot, foul or turnover.
Kram argues Los Angeles should rely on the action far more in 2025-26, noting that Doncic’s February arrival limited practice time with James. Both stars are now positioned to spend a full season together.
Edwards targets first-team recognition
Kram also tracks Anthony Edwards’s steady ascent with the Minnesota Timberwolves: first-time All-Star honors in 2023, a second-team All-NBA nod in 2024 and a sixth-place finish in 2025 MVP voting. History, however, shows every NBA champion over the past 21 seasons featured at least one first-team All-NBA player. At 24, Edwards may need to reach that tier to help Minnesota move past consecutive Western Conference finals defeats.
Pelicans face challenging road
The New Orleans Pelicans have not secured a top-six finish in the Western Conference since 2018, and Kram suggests that drought could continue. Guard Dejounte Murray is rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon, while Zion Williamson’s availability remains uncertain. When Williamson played last season, New Orleans went 10-20, equivalent to a 27-win pace. Kram adds that surrendering an unprotected future first-round pick to trade up in this summer’s draft heightens the franchise’s risk profile.
The Lakers’ underused play, Edwards’s push for top-five recognition and the Pelicans’ uphill battle headline the Western Conference storylines entering the new season.
Source: Hoops Wire
