Luka Dončić Calls for Improved Physicality as Lakers Wrap Up Preseason with Struggles

Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up the preseason with a close loss to the Sacramento Kings, finishing their exhibition games with a record of 1–5.

The Slovenian superstar showcased another impressive outing, scoring 31 points and dishing out nine assists. Following the match, he shared insights on the team’s performance and areas that require enhancement as they prepare for the 2025/26 season.

“Practice is certainly a different environment. I feel like we’re tougher in practice. As I mentioned, we need to focus on our physicality,” Luka stated during the post-game press conference.

He noted that improvements are essential, particularly with LeBron James currently unavailable due to injury.

“We’ll frequently find ourselves with varying numbers on the court; sometimes it’ll be a smaller group, and at other times, we’ll have a larger one. There’s definitely some fine-tuning to be done—particularly regarding our physical presence,” he remarked.

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to kick off their season against the Golden State Warriors on October 21.