Luka Doncic, SGA or LaMelo Ball: Choose Your NBA Starter

NBA · Pop Culture · November 10, 2026

Luka Doncic, SGA or LaMelo Ball: Choose Your NBA Starter

Every great game starts with a choice. Three starters, six rounds, real stats. Luka is scoring 40 a night, SGA just dropped 43 and 42 on the same team and LaMelo got to 1,000 threes faster than anyone in history.

You have seen this screen before. A professor, a table, three choices and the knowledge that this decision will follow you for the rest of the game. We built the NBA version. The starters are the three NBA guards our readers search for most, the stats are through November 8 and every round is decided by the numbers, except one where we used our judgment and told you why.

Meet the Starters

Starter 001 · Lakers
Luka Doncic
Class: Sniper. Special: the 61-foot bank shot
Points40.1
Rebounds7.8
Assists7.7
Threes made5.8
FG%49.8
Team9-2
58.0Base stat total
Starter 002 · Thunder
SGA
Class: Assassin. Special: the free throw
Points29.9
Rebounds3.9
Assists4.9
Threes made2.7
FG%46.1
Team8-2
40.8Base stat total
Starter 003 · Timberwolves
LaMelo Ball
Class: Showman. Special: the no-look pass
Points18.3
Rebounds3.3
Assists6.0
Threes made3.4
FG%44.9
Team8-3
29.4Base stat total
Base stats, per game
2026-27 season through Nov. 8, per ESPN and Land of Basketball. The longest bar in each group wins it.
Luka DoncicSGALaMelo Ball
Points
40.1
29.9
18.3
Rebounds
7.8
3.9
3.3
Assists
7.7
4.9
6.0
Threes
5.8
2.7
3.4
Steals
1.7
1.0
1.7

Six Rounds

Round 1Raw scoringLuka Doncic

Not close. Luka leads the NBA at 40.1 points a game, per ESPN, more than ten clear of SGA, who is third in the league at 29.9. LaMelo is at 18.3, which is a perfectly good number for a normal human being.

Luka is also averaging 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists, so his base stat total is the highest of the three by a lot.

Ref’s noteForty a game should not be possible. Scorekeepers in Los Angeles have asked for a raise.
Round 2The November level-upLaMelo Ball

Every starter levels up eventually. LaMelo averaged 14.4 points in seven October games and 25.0 in four November games, per Land of Basketball, a jump of 10.6 a night. That beats SGA’s 9.8 and Luka’s 8.8.

Minnesota is 8-3 and has been playing without Anthony Edwards, who is recovering from knee surgery. LaMelo’s November is a big reason the Wolves have not missed a beat.

Ref’s noteEvolution confirmed. We would play a little music here if articles could do that.
Round 3ClutchSGA

Both of the big two hit go-ahead shots this month. Luka’s came with 28 seconds left against Portland. SGA’s was a three with 32.6 seconds left in Cleveland, in a 43-point night, and two days later he scored 42 more against the same Cavaliers in Oklahoma City.

The tiebreaker is degree of difficulty: the Thunder have been playing without three starters, all out long-term, and SGA keeps winning anyway. Oklahoma City is 8-2.

Ref’s noteTwo 40-point games against the same team in three nights. Cleveland has asked to be moved to a different conference.
Round 4ThreesLuka Doncic

Luka is making 5.8 threes a game at 41.9%. LaMelo makes 3.4 and SGA 2.7.

LaMelo gets an honorable mention that is really a record: on Nov. 2 against Milwaukee he reached 1,000 career threes in 311 games, the fastest in NBA history, on the way to a season-high 34 points.

Ref’s noteLuka also banked one in from 61 feet at a halftime buzzer on Nov. 6. That counts as a three. It should count as nine.
Round 5Team recordLuka Doncic

Lakers 9-2, Thunder 8-2, Timberwolves 8-3, per the standings. Los Angeles is first in the West by the smallest of margins, 0.818 to Oklahoma City’s 0.800.

Ref’s notePoint zero one eight. We checked it twice. The Lakers are not giving it back.
Round 6Ball securitySGA

Every starter has a weakness. Luka turns it over 4.9 times a game and LaMelo 4.0. SGA: 2.2, per his season log. He also shoots 85.3% at the line, which is where his special move lives.

Ref’s noteThe safest pick in the game. Your save file will thank you.
Final score after six rounds
3Luka Doncic
2SGA
1LaMelo Ball
Luka takes three rounds, SGA two, LaMelo one. Choose Luka.
The November level-up
Points per game in November minus October. All three got stronger; one got a lot stronger.
LaMelo Ball14.4 in Oct. to 25.0 in Nov.
10.6
SGA26.0 in Oct. to 35.8 in Nov.
9.8
Luka Doncic36.2 in Oct. to 45.0 in Nov.
8.8

Signature Games

StarterSignature gameThe line
Luka DoncicNov. 6 vs. Portland, Lakers 124-11853 points, a go-ahead jumper with 28 seconds left, a 61-foot bank shot at halftime
SGANov. 2 at Cleveland, Thunder 117-11243 points on 14 of 35, 11 of 12 free throws, the go-ahead three
LaMelo BallNov. 2 vs. Milwaukee, Wolves 112-10034 points, six threes, 1,000 career threes in 311 games
Luka’s run, in numbers

The 53 against Portland was the 11th 50-point game of his career and his fourth 40-point game in a row, which puts him with Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant and George Mikan as the only Lakers ever to do that in the regular season. He has scored at least 35 points with five rebounds, five assists and five threes in seven straight games. He also missed his first five threes of that night, which is the most relatable thing he has done all season.

Which Starter Are You?

You should choose Luka if...
You like winning arguments with one number (40.1), you do not mind the occasional turnover, and you believe any shot from inside the half-court line is a good shot.
You should choose SGA if...
You want the safest save file in the game: few turnovers, free throws all night and wins even with three starters out. You are the person who reads the instructions.
You should choose LaMelo if...
You want the starter who levels up the most, the fastest shooter ever to 1,000 threes and the best no-look passes on this page. You also pick the hardest difficulty setting on purpose.

Whichever one you picked, there is a shirt for it. Luka Doncic merch is the obvious call this month, and Planet Euphoria’s full NBA starter lineup has the SGA and LaMelo Ball designs too, each one drawn by hand and numbered.

Pick your starter, wear your starter

Planet Euphoria’s hand-drawn NBA player tees: hand-printed in Schenectady, New York, individually numbered and capped at 500 per design. $40, Black or Off-White, sizes S to 5XL, free shipping.

Luka Doncic V3 graphic tee, hand-drawn and numberedLuka Doncic
SGA V2 graphic tee, hand-drawn and numberedSGA
LaMelo Ball V2 graphic tee, hand-drawn and numberedLaMelo Ball

I choose Luka: the numbered Luka Doncic V3 shirt →

Luka, SGA and LaMelo: Your Questions, Answered

Who leads the NBA in scoring in 2026-27?
Luka Doncic, at 40.1 points a game through November 8, 2026, ahead of Stephen Curry (31.3) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (29.9).
Who is the fastest player to 1,000 career threes?
LaMelo Ball, who reached 1,000 in his 311th game on November 2, 2026, against Milwaukee.
How many points did SGA score against the Cavaliers?
43 in a 117-112 win in Cleveland on November 2, including the go-ahead three, then 42 in a 124-116 win in Oklahoma City on November 4.
What is LaMelo Ball averaging with the Timberwolves?
18.3 points and 6.0 assists in 11 games, and 25.0 points a game in November.
Where can I buy Luka Doncic merch?
Planet Euphoria sells a hand-drawn Luka Doncic V3 graphic tee, hand-printed in Schenectady, New York and individually numbered in a run of 500, for $40 in Black or Off-White, sizes S to 5XL. The Lakers team store and big retailers carry standard Luka Doncic shirts and merch.

An entertainment piece. The classes, specials and rounds are our framing; the numbers are real and were checked November 9, 2026 against ESPN’s league leaders and standings, Land of Basketball season logs, and Associated Press game stories via OPB, TSN and Cleveland 19. No player, team or league is affiliated with or endorses this article.