Channing Frye questions whether Doncic’s style can win a title

Doncic has averaged 36 points, 8.3 assists and 6.8 rebounds through his first four games this season, while shooting 48.4% from the field. He scored 52 points against Utah and 41 against Portland in his two most recent outings. The Lakers have won four of their first five games.

Frye said on his podcast that he admires Doncic but doubts the style of play will deliver a championship. He compared the Lakers star to James Harden, arguing that a high-usage offense built around one player has not produced a title for Harden. Harden won an MVP and took Houston to two Western Conference finals, but did not win a championship with the Rockets.

The concern is that an offense relying heavily on Doncic to create could become easier to contain in the playoffs and place a heavy load on him. The comparison has limits: Doncic led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals, where the Mavericks lost to Boston in five games. He averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in that series.

Los Angeles has added support around Doncic. Austin Reaves is averaging 24.4 points, and offseason acquisition Walker Kessler is contributing 14.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. The Lakers’ challenge will be balancing Doncic’s playmaking with an offense that can function when he is not controlling the ball.