The Los Angeles Lakers are 11-4 at the 15-game mark and have put together one of their best season starts in recent memory.
After a 2-2 start, the Lakers have gone 9-2 since, winning five straight in the process and four of their last five games even with their roster not intact as the No. 3 seed in the West.
Tuesday's 140-126 win over the Jazz, which was the debut of a historic year 23 for LeBron James, was the first time all season the Lakers had everyone available to play—something L.A. didn't even have during training camp and preseason.
Let's delve deeper into the Lakers' start, the Lakers game betting markets, where they rank among the other teams in the NBA, and more importantly, where their stars stand among the best of the best.
First, here are their notable rankings among the NBA on both sides of the ball:
Offense:
| Offensive Efficiency | 11th at 116.5 |
| Points a Game | 5th at 117.9 |
| FG% | 1st at 51.1% |
| 3-Point % | Tied for 6th worst at 33.8% |
| Free Throws a Game | 2nd at 29.1 |
| 3-pointers a Game | Last at 10.9 per contest |
| Turnovers a Game | 6th worst at 16.9 a contest |
Defense:
| Defensive Efficiency | 14th in the NBA at 114.1 |
| Points Allowed a Game | 13th at 115.2 |
| Steals a Game | 6th at 9.6 |
| Opponents Rebounds Allowed | 3rd worst at 39.5 |
| Fast Break Points Allowed | 5th best at 13.9 |
With James missing the first 14 games with a sciatica injury, the Lakers have relied heavily on the production of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves—and they have delivered, at an elite All-Star level.
Dončić came out of the gates hot to start the season—legendary hot. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in NBA history to start a season with three consecutive 40-point games.
Since then, his scoring had dipped down to the average of the top players, but he has bounced back from a shooting slump with his fourth 40-point game this season against Milwaukee.
The 26-year-old Slovenian star is currently the NBA's No. 1 scorer, averaging 34.6 points, along with 9.0 assists and 8.5 rebounds. His nine dimes a game rank him fourth in the NBA in assists per game, with his highest assist game being 13 against San Antonio.
He has also totaled eight double-doubles in his 11 games total, which ranks him second among all guards.
Dončić's knack to create contact and smartly get his way to the foul line, averaging 12.5 attempts, is a big part in the Lakers being the second-highest team in the NBA in foul trips a game.
Reaves, on the other hand, has proved to be arguably the third-best option in the NBA, and with the way James played in his debut as a facilitator—dropping 12 assists—Reaves might slowly become the Lakers' new second scoring option with James turning 41 next month.
After Dončić dropped 49 against the T-Wolves (Oct. 24), Reaves answered that the following game with a much-needed career-high 51-point outing in a short-handed road win in Sacramento.
Reaves has played at a level that could earn him his first All-Star nod, scoring 28.1 points a game, which ranks ninth highest in the NBA.
The duo has been a high success for the Lakers' scoring and, more importantly, for their win tallies, with the team having a 7-2 record when both are in the lineup.
You can't win games solely on your stars. You need your bench and role players to have success as well to function as a well-rounded playoff unit, like OKC, for example.
The Lakers have had great production from that group, and I wanted to highlight some guys who haven't had the light shone on them, with their star-studded guys up front getting the main spotlight.
When he first joined the team, Deandre Ayton expressed how more impactful he was when he played with stars around him. With the Lakers, he has looked arguably his best in his career as the focal screener and rim runner.
Ayton is eighth in the NBA in screen assists per game and ninth in screen assist points per contest. His stellar work as the roll man has him fourth in the NBA, averaging 4.6 points per game off the pick-and-roll.
Rui Hachimura has complemented Dončić and Reaves really well on the offense end, with a growing chemistry off the court with the Slovenian. Hachimura is shooting a career-high from the field—at 56.6%—and from 3-point range—48.1%.
The midrange has been his bread and butter, nearly being perfect. He's shot over 55% in six of his 14 games, all of which he attempted nine or more shots in. He's scoring at a career-high 15.1 points a game.
Newcomers Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia have also been huge bright spots from L.A.'s second unit. They are among the top players in deflections in the NBA; Smart is 11th in deflections per contest and LaRavia is 21st.
The Lakers started 10-4 last season in coach JJ Redick's first season and then went on to lose eight of their next 11 games. This time, the Lakers, under a new three-headed monster, will look to continue their early success and momentum with four of their next five games at home.