Norm Nixon’s experience sharing a backcourt with Magic Johnson shapes his advice for Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Norm Nixon knows what it takes for two playmakers to share a backcourt with the Los Angeles Lakers. He did it with Magic Johnson, and he sees a straightforward path for Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to make their partnership work.
In an interview with Lakers On SI, the former Lakers guard said an NBA game provides enough possessions for both players to create. The key is allowing each to handle the ball and recognizing when the other should take charge.
“The NBA game is long enough for those guys to share the ball at a certain point in time,” Nixon said.
That advice comes from experience. Nixon was already an established point guard when Johnson arrived in Los Angeles. Rather than treating every possession as a contest over who ran the offense, the two worked out how to alternate. Nixon recalled that if one brought the ball up, the other could run ahead; at other times, the flow of the game settled the decision.
Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guardLukaDoncic(77) walks across the court after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesNixon wants both guards involved
Dončić and Reaves have different strengths, but each can initiate offense, create a shot and set up a teammate. Nixon said those abilities are more useful when both guards get chances to exercise them during games.
“Luka wants to handle it sometimes. Reaves wants to come off the picks to shoot. And vice versa,” Nixon said.
His concern is what happens when any one player controls the ball throughout a game. A second playmaker needs opportunities to run actions and make decisions, Nixon said, or that part of his game can become less effective. The Lakers have two guards capable of doing that work, and Nixon believes they should use both.
That could mean Dončić directing a possession while Reaves moves into position to shoot. It could also mean Reaves handling the ball and Dončić becoming the player the defense must track away from it. Nixon’s point was less about dividing touches evenly than making both players active threats.
Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guardLukaDoncic(77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) look on from the bench during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesAnother piece of the Lakers’ offense
Nixon also praised Dončić’s ability to control a game at his own pace. Watching him, Nixon said, he can see how Dončić uses his strength to move defenders and create space, even when he does not appear to be moving quickly.
The former Lakers guard raised another roster question: interior defense. Although he said centers are less essential to winning than they were during his playing career, Nixon still values a defender who can protect the paint. He said he would look for that kind of presence if he were coaching today.
Walker Kessler gives Los Angeles a player to fill that role. How the Lakers balance his work near the basket with the decisions Dončić and Reaves make on the perimeter will help shape their offense this season.
Nixon’s advice for the guards does not require either to surrender the ability to create. It asks them to recognize when a teammate has the better opening and stay involved when the ball is elsewhere. He learned that approach alongside Johnson. Now, he believes it can help the Lakers’ current backcourt.
