Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor offers some of his predictions for the 2026 year – including why the honeymoon phase may be over for the superstar in Los Angeles.
Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on , , or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
I’m predicting that Lakers fans turn on Luka.
They turn on Luka.
I feel like it’s already starting to happen.
It’s boiling right now.
He’s been getting roasted on defense.
Like, it’s been bad so far this year for the Lakers with Luka.
So many different times in which it just looks Like he’s a statue, not moving on the ball.
A lack of intensity, A lack of hustle.
He’s looking a lot heavier.
I mean, you know, what was it?
The Men’s Fitness magazine cover this fall?
Season, he looked great playing EuroBasket.
Now, he just looks like Luka.
He’s put on the weight.
I said before the season how worried I was.
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About him being able to keep off the weight during the season.
It just doesn’t look like he’s himself, the guy that we saw this summer.
And the Lakers, I mean, when they were winning, People were talking about them like they’re fake because of their plus-minus, their net rating and all that, and how they… You know, Now we’re seeing it, right?
This team lacks life.
They lack energy.
It’s easy to blame the return of LeBron.
It’s easy to blame the absence of Austin Reaves.
And all of these factors are part of it.
I think Luka has underwhelmed with his conditioning, but, You know, at 20 and 11 this year, all 11 of their losses have been by double digits.
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And this is kind of a Luka thing, because in the ’23-’24 season, The Mavericks went 50 and 32.
Twenty-one of those losses were by double digits last season.
The Lakers lost 13 games after trading for Luka.
Eight of those were by double digits.
And so, over the last two and a half years in total, 61% of games lost when Luka played were by double digits.
And so, what does that mean?
Like, a loss is a loss, but I just think these are teams that often lay down dead.
There’s a give-up approach, a lack of defensive desire and want.
And heart.
And that’s where I look at it right now with The way people are talking about the Lakers and talking about Luka and LeBron specifically, As a team, they just lack that type of mentality.
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That’s why JJ Redick was ranting to the media about how it’s going to be hard.
Practice and all that.
I just think Lakers fans are gonna turn on Luka.
This year, I think LeBron is first.
You know, he probably changes teams or retires, and then the pressure’s really going to be on.
Luka to turn it around.