Luka Doncic is one of the best offensive players in the NBA, averaging the second-most points this season behind Joel Embiid.
For as good as Luka is offensive, he’s bad defensively. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon revealed that a scout called him the ‘worst transition defender in the history of basketball.’
“I did have a scout tell me he’s the worst transition defender in the history of basketball. When he said that, I thought he had analytical evidence. I’m like, ‘Statistically?’ And he goes, ‘No, just watch him.’”
Luka Doncic tends to overperform on most defensive metrics like individual defensive rating but it’s not a reflection of his play style. Fans know that Doncic doesn’t run back up the court often and ends up making his team play 5 on 4 until he actually runs back up to defend. He argues with the referees after almost every offensive play, which impacts his ability to defend even more.
Can Luka Doncic Reach His Potential Without Defending?
The modern era of NBA basketball doesn’t feature as many two-way stars as the previous generations did. There are only three highly elite two-way players in the NBA right now Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid, as compared to the various names that would excel on both ends even 10 years ago. Doncic is not a good defender and doesn’t put his massive frame and size to good use when it comes to stopping opponents.
Doncic could win MVPs without defending; we’ve seen many examples of payers doing that. But if he wants to live up to his status as a possible all-timer and the next superstar of the league, he needs to lock in defensively. The Dallas Mavericks cannot stop a nosebleed, and if Luka could set a better tone as a leader, maybe he can improve his teammate’s effort on that front.
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