Trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers is widely regarded as one of the worst decisions by a team in NBA history. It only took a few weeks for the Mavs to admit regret, but it doesn’t mean all their concerns were invalid. In fact, speaking on ‘The Herd,’ NBA analyst Colin Cowherd recently exposed Doncic for not meeting expectations, claiming that his athleticism has somehow already regressed from where it used to be.
“We’re a year into the Luka trade, and it’s still not working out that well,” said Cowherd. “It can’t take this long. And it’s not on 41-year-old LeBron to make it work; it’s on Luka to make it work. Two things can be true: The Lakers stole him from the Mavs, and it was a great trade. Secondly, he is aging quickly. The numbers don’t lie. He gets four times more technicals than dunks. His athleticism is regressing.”
Luka arrived in Los Angeles as one of the top three best players in the game, but that status is in doubt now that Lakers fans have seen his flaws first-hand. Despite averaging 32.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 47.1% shooting from the field and 35.5% shooting from three this season, consistency and effort on the defensive end have been a rarity for the Slovenian superstar.
“People used to say, ‘Oh, he’s Larry Bird,’ but Bird made All-Defense three times, and Larry Bird made every teammate he ever played with better,” added Cowherd. “We’re a year into Luka and the Lakers, and it’s not really working yet. How long can it take? Everybody works well with LeBron. Austin Reaves is not a ball hog; he’s a hard worker, and he’s a shot creator. You can’t work with that?”
Luka’s arrival was supposed to begin an era of prosperity for the Lakers, but it has only led to more disappointment and confusion. At fifth in the West (34-22), the Lakers have been competitive, but far from the elite unit they were expecting to be. While fans have blamed many different sources, most of the recent criticisms have been directed at Luka himself.
On paper, Doncic is having one of his best statistical seasons ever, but it’s come with some major caveats. For one, there’s the lack of defense that often becomes a liability on the floor. Unlike previous Lakers stars, Doncic is primarily an offensive-only player, meaning a lot of work on the other end is spent covering for his mistakes. He rarely dunks anymore, as his athleticism has seemingly taken a decline.
That’s not to mention his behavior with the officials, which has gotten increasingly out of control. All-in-all, it seems Luka is falling back into some old habits, and he’s not going to get away with it so easily in a Lakers uniform. With the whole world watching, Doncic will have to respond with sheer dominance if he wants to end the doubts once and for all.
