Stephen A Smith Sends Bold Warning to Lakers Without Luka Doncic

Stephen A. Smith did not hold back when he assessed the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round outlook without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. After a shaky stretch and a defense that has looked vulnerable, the ESPN voice argued the Lakers would be “going home in April.” It was harsh, dramatic, and maybe a little over the top, but not completely baseless.

Smith did not hold back on ESPN. "They're going home and they're going home in April," he said.

"Without Luka and without AR, the Lakers are going home in April. Ladies and gentlemen, they couldn't stop a cold against the Dallas Mavericks. They couldn't stop anybody. And when AR and Luka Doncic are looking like better defenders than the people you had on the floor, it ain't nowhere to go from there."

He noted the awkward situation head coach JJ Redick is dealing with, pointing out that LeBron James, DeAndre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Jake LaRavia had never shared the floor together as a starting unit all season.

"In fairness to the Lakers, they had never started. They never shared the floor together this season, let alone started," Smith acknowledged

.@stephenasmith gives the Lakers a 0% chance without Luka and Reaves in the 1st round 😬 pic.twitter.com/SzpVWJ3xDw
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 6, 2026

Smith then later spoke on LeBron:

"You can't ask him to turn around and carry the load as a number one option at the age of 41 in his 23rd season, which obviously he is now that Luka and AR are out. There's but so much you can ask," he said

He added that he agreed with Redick's messaging that both players plan to return, but still fired his final shot:

"I think that in order for the Lakers to have any shot, they both have to be back somewhere midway through the first round in order for the Lakers to pull this off. Otherwise, the Lakers — I'm giving them zero. I repeat, zero chance of getting out of the first round, which means this season ends this month."

Is Stephen A. Smith Right About Lakers Playoff Chances?

To‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ a certain extent: yes. The Lakers are at 3rd in the Western Conference with a 50-28 record, but that ranking is now very vulnerable. With Doncic and Reaves being sidelined for the rest of the season, it's clear that the Denver Nuggets have a legitimate opportunity to surpass them before the playoffs.

The loss to the Mavericks without their two stars exposed just how thin this roster really is without its pillars.

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