Lakers' Luka Doncic Opens on a Wilt Chamberlain Pace, but Back Tightness Clouds Detroit Trip

Luka Doncic is scoring at a rate the NBA has not seen in more than six decades. His season-high 53 points in Friday's 124-118 home win over Portland pushed him to 361 points through his first nine games. As the New York Post reported, that is the most by any player over a season's first nine games since Wilt Chamberlain scored 472 in 1962-63. Chamberlain also had 455 to start 1961-62.

He leads the league at 40.1 points per game, and that has people asking whether he can stay above 40 for a whole season. Only Chamberlain has done it. He averaged 50.4 in 1961-62 and 44.8 the season after. Nobody else has reached 38. Michael Jordan's 37.1 in 1986-87 is the next-best mark, followed by James Harden (36.1), Rick Barry (35.6) and Kobe Bryant (35.4). Doncic's own career high is 33.9, set with Dallas in 2023-24, and he averaged 33.5 last season in his first full year with the Lakers.

Doncic did not bite on the question. He pointed out that the Lakers have 72 games left, and he told the Post that "as long as we win, I'm good." There is also a more pressing problem. He is questionable for Sunday's game in Detroit with low back tightness, a listing Yahoo Sports also reported. The Lakers have played 10 games and he has appeared in nine, so they already know what a night without him looks like.

What it means for Sunday at Detroit

The Lakers arrive at 8-2 on a four-game winning streak. They beat Portland, Sacramento, Miami and Toronto, scoring at least 116 each time. Their last loss came at Golden State, 112-95, their lowest output of the season by a wide margin. On the road they are 3-1, with wins in Utah, at the Clippers and in Sacramento. Through 10 games they are scoring 122.0 points and allowing 114.3, and their games have averaged 236.3 combined points.

The market still has them as the underdog. Detroit is favored at -167 on the moneyline at Novig, one of 12 venues on this site's board, with the Lakers at +163. The Pistons are favored by 4.5 points. Novig prices Detroit -4.5 at -106, and the best price anywhere on that side is -105 at Pinnacle. Novig has the Lakers +4.5 at -102. The total sits at 220.5 on Novig, with the over at -102 and the under at -100. Elsewhere, Pinnacle has the over at 220 for -109 and bet365 has the under at 221.5 for -110. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline ranges from 2.6% to 5.1% across the board, so the venues are fairly close on who wins.

That 220.5 total is well below what Lakers games have been producing, and Doncic's back is the main reason to expect less scoring. If he plays, his 40.1 average and the Chamberlain comparison carry into another game. If he sits, the Lakers have to show their 8-2 start does not depend on one player putting up 40 a night.