The Portland Trail Blazers are getting back on the court when they travel to Tinseltown to face off against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

To learn more about the Lakers' current state of affairs, we spoke with Los Angeles Lakers On SI publisher Ryan Ward.

Luka Doncic is coming off of a great performance against the Utah Jazz. How important has he been to start the season?

The Lakers’ early success has been more of a team effort, in my opinion. Luka has been a big part of them being 3-0, especially coming off the 52-point eruption, but this team seems to be a well-oiled machine much faster than I anticipated, which is no easy task with nine new players.

Doncic’s turnovers have been concerning. He’s averaging 7.0 per game coming into Tuesday’s matchup against the Blazers. Most of that is due to his career-high 11 turnovers against the Clippers.

However, he continues to make an impact on both ends of the floor and is clearly getting into a groove offensively, so the turnovers might not be a major concern moving forward.

How is the team reacting to LeBron James not being on the roster anymore?

It feels like the team moved on pretty quickly after LeBron let it be known he’d be signing elsewhere during the offseason. 

James leaving the team wasn’t all that surprising, as the writing was on the wall ever since the Lakers traded for Doncic. 

That said, the new era is underway, and so far things appear to be headed in the right direction for the storied franchise.

What’s one thing people should know about the Lakers that cannot be found in a box score?

This team already has chemistry, which is impressive considering all the changes that were made over the summer.

They all seem bought into what JJ Redick wants from them, especially on the defensive end of the floor, with Walker Kessler proving to be a game-changer, along with the additions of Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams. 

There are no egos on the team, and everyone seems to be on the same page, which obviously bodes well for a successful 2026-27 campaign.

If the Lakers were to lose to the Blazers, what would be the reason why?

The Blazers will be the toughest challenge the new-look Lakers have faced thus far. Portland has a chance to be something special this season, with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant leading the way. 

Depth is seemingly a strength for Portland, but it’s the rebounding that could really give Los Angeles problems. It’s been arguably the team’s biggest weakness thus far, as they are thin in the frontcourt behind Kessler.

The Lakers are the worst rebounding team in the NBA at the moment at 37.0 per game, while the Blazers are in the top five in that category at 50.5. That's a difference that could swing the game.

What’s your prediction for the game?

I see two potential scenarios.

One, it’s a game that comes down to the wire, with Doncic leading the Lakers to victory with some late-game heroics, as he did against the Jazz.

Or the Blazers dominate the glass and humble the undefeated Lakers by exposing their biggest flaw.