Los Angeles Lakers forwards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ended the previous season scoring an average of 56 points when both were on the floor, something that has already got one entity trying to find the proper historical comparison.

“This team is made for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to go crazy, like Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic,” Former guard Jeff Teague said on the Club 520 podcast. “This ain’t nothing but the Dallas Mavericks, the white version. They had the lob threats Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, and Daniel Gafford. Luka Doncic could be that good. They could be a top-six team.”

Teague asserted that the Lakers have mirrored the Dallas Mavericks’ strategy, centering it on Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, with Austin Reaves now playing the position held by Kyrie Irving.

The Lakers are leaning into a “Dallas 2.0” blueprint after bringing in Luka Dončić as well. With former Mavericks coach JJ Redick at the helm, the plan centers on pairing Dončić with Austin Reaves while surrounding them with elite rim protectors and lob threats.

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Teague made that comparison, discussing the Lakers’ revamped roster on the Club 520 Podcast.

This framing also makes sense in light of what has happened to the Lakers’ roster so far. LeBron James has signed with Philadelphia while Reaves signed a four-year deal worth $185 million and became the second go-to player. In Doncic’s first year playing for Los Angeles, he led the league with 33.5 points per game.

Teague’s comparison is not only based on stardom. This is also about building a team. Dallas built around Doncic and Irving a roster filled with shooters and lob threats, while the Lakers seem to do the same for Doncic and Reaves.

Teague’s comparison to Doncic and Irving is supported by the time they both spent playing together in Dallas when they averaged an incredible 59.2 points per game, which is second only in NBA history to any duo since the merger.

An in-depth look into Reaves’ and Doncic’s numbers

Just a couple of years ago, Doncic scored an average of 33.9 points, had 9.8 assists, and grabbed 9.2 rebounds in that stretch, while Irving chipped in with 25.6 points with excellent shooting numbers.

This dynamic duo led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals and scored above 51 points in every game before losing to the Boston Celtics 4-1.

Reaves is capable of doing so alongside Doncic. Reaves had an incredible year last year where he averaged a career-best 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting a high 49 percent from the field and 87.1 percent from the free throw line.

In the 41 games they both played alongside each other, the statistics got even better. While Doncic averaged 34.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists, Reaves added 22.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists to their respective averages.

However, health was the element that made it difficult for the Lakers to perform well during their season with the duo.

In the match between the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, Doncic sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain injury, while Reaves sustained a Grade 2 oblique strain in the same match.

With both players missing most of the regular season and the playoffs, the Lakers were eliminated by the Thunder in the second round of the playoffs (4-0).

This is precisely the reason why Teague’s compliment comes with a caution sign. It all appears like the Dallas roster, but nothing counts when Doncic and Reaves cannot stay healthy and on the floor much more often than last season.