The Los Angeles Lakers executed a great 108-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to take provisional control of the No. 2 seed in the West. This was their sixth straight win, completing Luka Doncic’s adjustment into the roster as they look to make a championship push.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick discussed having a player like Doncic on the roster in the post-game press conference, illustrating how stupid it can be to play a drop coverage against a guard like Doncic.
“The nature of playing with Luka Doncic, and we knew this when we traded for him, and that’s why you have to be adaptable as a coach. The nature of playing with Luka Doncic is if you play drop coverage against him, you’re going to die. Teams are going to rattle or they’re gonna blitz. We’re gonna be better and figure it out, but it helps when you can play all-shooting lineups.”
JJ Redick:
"The nature of playing with Luka Doncic is if you play drop coverage against him, you're going to die.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 3, 2025
Doncic put up 29 points (9-17 FG), six rebounds, and nine assists in tonight’s win. He effortlessly opened up the Clippers’ defense to set himself and others up, trash-talking his opponents mercilessly while on the court.
Giving Doncic space on the perimeter is always a bad idea. He’s had a rough shooting stretch with the Lakers, going 27.1% from three since joining in eight games, but nobody should forget he can be one of the most lethal shooters in the NBA. He made the second-most threes in the NBA last season.
He’s averaging 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists through eight games of his Lakers tenure.
Even if he’s not shooting, giving Doncic space on the perimeter allows him to manipulate defenses even more. Nobody leaves him unguarded, so a drop coverage only helps you defend from Doncic’s admittedly lethal drives and finishes around the rim. He’s not explosive, but Luka has been one of the most efficient finishers in the NBA for the last few years due to his size and driving ability.
The Lakers are trying to use Doncic more dynamically than he’s ever been used before. He’s running extensive sets as a secondary ball-handler, trying to contribute off-ball, and making the Lakers offense impossible to predict between him and LeBron.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
