Luka Doncic Makes Bold Claim About Lakers’ New Defensive Duo

The NBA preseason is officially underway for the Los Angeles Lakers, with Luka Doncic and company crushing the Sacramento Kings with an impressive all-around performance on the road.

As usual, Doncic put on an offensive show, scoring 21 points in only 16 minutes against the Kings, but it was the Lakers' overall performance that was truly impressive, especially on the defensive end.

With so many new players on the revamped Lakers squad, it was uncertain how this team would look right out of the gate. Usually, it takes some time for a new group of young players and veterans to gel, and that was far from the case on Monday, with defensive-minded wings Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams sparking the Lakers early and often.

Luka Doncic: Matisse Thybulle & Ziaire Williams’ Energy ‘Contagious’

Following the 24-point win over the Kings, Doncic spoke to the media and highlighted Thybulle and Williams’ energy in getting the team going defensively, inspiring the rest of the team, via Spectrum SportsNet.

"Basketball is one of the best things in my life, and I miss it a lot. It's been five, six months, I think. Being back for the games, being competitive is just a lot of fun for me, and I'm really happy to be back."

Luka Dončić (21 PTS (5-12 FG), 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 16 MIN)… pic.twitter.com/3ymka2NXr6
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 6, 2026

“I think we all had fun out there, especially Matisse [Thybulle] and Ziaire [Williams],” Doncic said. “Just that beginning of the game, just starting and all that. That's contagious for everybody. And how they started the game, it was inspirational. And then the other guys came from the bench, and it was amazing just to watch them. They were having fun, they were sharing the ball. So I think the whole team had a lot of fun today.”

Williams and Thybulle were all over the floor during this preseason opener, wreaking havoc defensively, causing fits for the struggling Kings, who couldn’t figure out how to score outside of rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and second-year guard Nique Clifford.

The Kings’ young backcourt duo combined for 42 points, but Sacramento could find much production anywhere else, with the Lakers constantly turning them over. Los Angeles forced an eye-popping 27 turnovers, while recording 15 steals across nine different players.

“It's contagious for everybody,” Doncic said of the Lakers’ new defensive duo of Thybulle and Williams. “The way they start a game, the way they play defense, use their hands. It's one of the best that I've seen. And just being teammates with them, going against them makes us better and makes them better. So it's just really fun to have them on the team.”

The crazy part about this defensive performance was that they had their best defensive player sitting on the bench.

Ahead of Monday’s matchup in Sacramento, Walker Kessler was a late scratch along with Austin Reaves. The 25-year-old center is reportedly dealing with a finger injury, and Reaves recently tweaked his ankle, which led to the decision to sit both star players.

JJ Redick: Ziaire & Matisse ‘Set the Tone’ for Lakers

However, it didn’t matter that Kessler wasn't patrolling the paint, as they were elite defensively, which Redick also raved about after the win.

"We just consistently just did the right play, and the right play helped our teammates."

JJ Redick talks to the media after the #Lakers' 127-103 win in Sacramento to open the preseason. pic.twitter.com/JyuIwWY5ww
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 6, 2026

"Ziaire [Williams] and Matisse [Thybulle], they kind of set the tone early for us. … Just overall, the communication, that's one thing that we've emphasized a lot in our small group workout before training camp and throughout training camp. I thought overall, most groups out there did a great job of communicating, both in transition and in the half-court. And that led to our physicality as well, because guys were confident.”

The Lakers playing at a high level defensively, with several new players playing alongside Doncic, is exactly what this team needs during the preseason.

It’s an exciting development, especially considering Kessler will soon be added to the mix.

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