Luka Doncic’s extraordinary start to the 2026-27 season has made him one of the biggest talking points in the NBA. Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers guard, has been scoring at a historic rate, but NBA analyst Kirk Goldsberry believes there may be more behind the performances than what is visible on the court.
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Goldsberry recently shared that he contacted someone close to Doncic over the weekend to understand the change in the Lakers star’s approach. The response pointed toward a possible shift in his mindset.
“I asked somebody very close to the situation this weekend. I was like, what has gotten into Luka Doncic? I’ve never seen this. And this person said to me, ‘Kirk, he is clear headed,’” Goldsberry said.
Goldsberry did not specify what he meant, though he appeared to allude to off-court matters from last year. Heavy.com, which reported his comments, tied the remark to Doncic’s off-court issues.
The timing of Goldsberry’s observation is notable, as Doncic’s performances during the first week of November earned him the Western Conference Player of the Week award.
According to the NBA’s official announcement of Doncic’s weekly award, he averaged 45.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists across three appearances, all of which ended in Lakers victories.
Doncic’s Recovery Could Be Another Key to His Form
Goldsberry’s comments also brought attention to Doncic’s physical condition. The analyst pointed to the importance of the guard being healthy, recalling what he had achieved when he was able to complete a season without major physical setbacks.
“But I think Luka is dialed in, in a way, and healthy in a way. Like, remember, this is the dude who won the Western Conference the last time he finished the season healthy,” Goldsberry said.
Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, showing the impact he can have when he is available and playing at his best. He also spoke about his offseason recovery after the Lakers defeated Sacramento on November 4, explaining that he had finally been able to take time to recover after several demanding years.
“I had some good stretches in my career. But obviously this could be one of the highest ones. But there’s still some work to do,” Doncic said when discussing his current run. He later added, “I had the whole summer to recover. A lot of stuff that I couldn’t do in the last maybe eight years. So that’s where the energy is coming from.”
That recovery could be particularly important for a player who carries so much responsibility on offense. Doncic is not only the Lakers’ primary scorer but also the player who creates opportunities for his teammates. Having more energy throughout games could help him maintain that influence on both ends of the Lakers’ offense.
The results have been clear. Doncic scored 42 points against Miami on November 2, followed by 40 against Sacramento on November 4 and a season-high 53 against Portland on November 6. Those performances helped him secure the weekly honor and gave the Lakers three victories during the period.
He returned from lower-back tightness to record 32 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in the Lakers’ 124–114 win over the Atlanta Hawks on November 9. That victory extended Los Angeles’ winning streak to six games and improved its record to 10–2.
Goldsberry believes Doncic’s current level could continue, although he stopped short of making a firm prediction. “So he deserves a lot of respect. Maybe this thing is sustainable,” he said.
For the Lakers, Doncic’s current production gives them a strong foundation, but sustaining it across an entire season remains the bigger challenge. Goldsberry’s comments offer one possible explanation for the change: a more settled mindset and a healthier Doncic could make this version of the Slovenian star even harder to contain.