Only 4.4 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions! LeBron and Doncic should run more pick-and-rolls next season: Should they follow the LeBron-Kyrie blueprint?

On August 18th, ESPN broke down each team's new season issues using data, and for the Lakers, the number they focused on was 4.4.

With Luka Doncic and LeBron James both on the squad, the Lakers theoretically have a difficult-to-defend offensive approach: LeBron's pick-and-rolls with elite guards have long been a source of mismatch advantages and outstanding effectiveness. However, following last season's blockbuster trade, the Lakers did not utilize these two primary ball handlers in pick-and-rolls as much as expected: According to Genius IQ statistics,During the regular season, LeBron set 3.8 pick-and-rolls for Doncic per 100 possessions, while Doncic set only 0.6 for LeBron, adding up to a total of 4.4 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions between them..

For comparison, in their final two seasons together on the Cavaliers, LeBron and Kyrie Irving averaged 15.1 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions. When LeBron played alongside Austin Reaves on the Lakers, their mutual pick-and-roll frequency reached 11.3 times per 100 possessions.

To be fair, the Lakers spent last season quickly adjusting to this brand-new lineup, and the pick-and-roll frequency for this star duo rose significantly in the playoffs, jumping from 4.4 to 9.2 per 100 possessions (though nearly all were LeBron screening for Doncic, not the other way around).

Unsurprisingly, this strategy generated a lot of points—when Doncic and LeBron's pick-and-rolls directly resulted in a shot, foul, or turnover, the Lakers averaged over 1.2 points per possession. ESPN suggests that in the 2025-26 season, LeBron and Doncic should utilize this tactic even more to fully unlock the potential of this unique pairing.