Ahead of a critical game against the Rockets on Wednesday, Lakers coach JJ Redick heaped heavy praise on Luka Doncic. In a candid review, he talked up the star’s two-way game, going so far as to call him a defensive savant.
“He’s doing a good job of containment, he’s done a nice job of executing it,” said Redick. “He’s a basketball savant. People think he’s a basketball savant on the offensive side. He’s a defensive savant as well.”
Most people would hesitate to call Doncic a defensive savant. In fact, throughout most of his career, Luka has been cited as a negative defender, often labelled as a liability on that end of the floor. According to Redick, however, Luka is showing positive signs and has shown major improvements from when the season first began.
Overall, while he’s not competing for DPOY, Luka has been more active and engaged defensively, likely playing a role in the Lakers’ current hot streak (winners of six straight games). In Monday’s win over the Rockets, for example, he helped keep the competition under 100 points with two steals and constant on-ball pressure all night.
For the Lakers to maintain their current position (third in the West at 43-25), they’ll need more of this two-way effort from Doncic. If he can continue to set the tone and play both ends of the floor, it will make the Lakers a lot harder to deal with in the playoffs. Of course, they also need to work on boxing out to truly maximize their chances.
“Regardless of what our coverage is, we have to do a better job of boxing out,” said JJ. “Actually, physically boxing out, and not just looking at a guy and turning and looking at the ball. We’ve got to have some contact.”
The Lakers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, with an average of just 40.9 boards per game (28th in the NBA). With guys like Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, they have the size to be much better in this category, but Redick believes their lackluster box-out attempts are costing them loose balls.
The key for the Lakers is to be more aware on the floor and play with more intentionality. Instead of ball watching or waiting for someone else to do the work, every Lakers player must make a point to make contact with their assignment and actively try to disrupt their rebounding effort. Redick didn’t name any specific names here, but it’s likely a goal that can be applied to everyone in that locker room.
With only 14 games left to play (including tonight against the Rockets), now is the time for Redick to get everyone on the same page. Collectively, the Lakers need to lock in and focus if they want to stay ahead in the West, and that means doing all the little things that help swing games. For Luka Doncic, specifically, what’s important for him is to keep up his encouraging play on defense. If he can keep improving on that end, everything else will fall into place.
