The Lakers are back in playoff mode, and things are about to get wild in L.A. After finishing third in the West, they’ll face the Timberwolves in round one on April 19 at Crypto.com Arena. You can already picture the crowd—rowdy, hopeful, and craving another banner. With Luka Doncic and LeBron James steering the ship, this team isn’t just stacked—they’re battle-tested.

This year, it’s not just about LeBron James doing LeBron things. Luka Doncic has stepped in as the other half of L.A.’s superstar duo, and he’s bringing serious heat. Luka’s feeling confident, too. “I think we have a great team. We have guys who are willing to go to war. Everybody is staying together, the chemistry is high. So I think we, for sure, have a chance,” the Slovenian said.

And how are LeBron and Luka willing to go to win? Well, to the point of ignoring their coach. Dorian Finney-Smith, the Lakers forward, recently gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how things really run on the court — and it sure doesn’t sound like JJ Redick is always calling the shots.

Speaking to the media, Finney-Smith pulled back the curtain on what it’s like playing with LeBron and Luka. And what he said? Definitely eyebrow-raising.

“Man, it seems like he know what’s gonna happen before it happens,” DFS said, referring to LeBron. “It’s been certain timeouts where the coach would say a play, he [LeBron] say, ‘I’m go back door, the lob won’t be open.’”

He continued, “Most of the times, the LeBron will tell me if we’re over for the slip. Definitely be able to put this. So you wanna do—you know—you wanna do what they say, ’cause sometimes I may benefit from him and get a wide-open corner three.”

And then came the real insight into how the hierarchy truly functions:

“You know, just have somebody who can be another coach from the court, alongside with Luka, who I’ve been on the court with for a while. But it’s amazing. Sometimes in the game, they quarterbacking. And not even talking to JJ—they just, you know, get nothing set with getting us in the right spot from the court. So it’s been amazing playing with them.”

So while Redick’s drawing up the Xs and Os, LeBron and Luka are out there rewriting the game plan in real time. What makes this shift even more significant is the change in team dynamics. In the past, LeBron James was the undisputed voice in the huddle—the floor general, the strategist, the guy everyone looked to. But now, Luka’s not just following; he’s leading too.

That kind of predictive command isn’t just feel—its film study, pattern recognition, and decades of high-IQ basketball being processed in real-time. That statement subtly but unmistakably draws the line—Redick might hold the clipboard, but on the hardwood, it’s LeBron and Luka calling audibles.

And DFS’ comments prove it — Luka and LeBron are both setting the tone, sometimes without even looping in JJ Redick. That kind of dual-command presence changes everything. It’s no longer a one-man show when it comes to vocal leadership.

What makes this particularly compelling is the implicit trust from the rest of the roster. For role players like Finney-Smith to follow the players’ directives over the coaches speaks to the gravity of their leadership. It’s not insubordination—its instinctual deference to generational basketball minds actively solving the game mid-possession.

And that’s the real story: not that JJ’s voice is being overridden, but that LeBron and Luka have created a new form of on-court governance—part improvisation, part chessboard mastery.

Now, with both stars calling the shots, Luka’s already eyeing his next target — and yep, it’s Rudy Gobert again.

Can Luka Doncic do it again this year?

Last year, Luka Doncic cooked Rudy Gobert under the bright lights of the Western Conference Finals. You probably remember the clip — Luka steps back, buries the three, and stares the Wolves down. That wasn’t just a buzzer-beater; it was a statement.

Now he’s back, rocking Lakers gold, and once again staring down Gobert in the first round. “Since I came to the league, I like to play pick-and-roll,” Luka said on Thursday, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I like to get a center on me.” And we all know why — he loves picking apart bigs like it’s backyard ball.

Gobert’s clearly seen that clip “a thousand times,” and honestly, who hasn’t? But he’s brushing it off. “It’s one clip,” he said. “People might hit tough shots over me… but let’s see what happens over hundreds of possessions.”

To his credit, Gobert called the series “a great learning experience.” He knows Luka’s still the same nightmare, just with new weapons in LA. “Same player, different team… they’re gonna run some of the same actions.”

This time, the stakes are different. Luka isn’t just the Mavs’ guy anymore. He’s LeBron’s co-pilot. The Wolves better hope those lessons stuck — because Luka’s already got the GPS set for their paint, and he’s not slowing down.