In what turned out to be a sobering Game 5 elimination for the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic’s defensive shortcomings were brutally exposed under the postseason spotlight. While his offensive skills remain unquestioned, it was his effort and execution on the defensive end that took center stage for all the wrong reasons.
Doncic allowed nine blow-bys on 16 defended drives, the most by any player in a single playoff game during the 2025 postseason. This was not just a stat—it was a critical turning point in the game, and arguably the series.
Time and again, Minnesota Timberwolves players, especially Julius Randle, isolated Doncic and relentlessly attacked him off the dribble. Whether it was in the half-court or in transition, Doncic simply couldn’t stay in front of his man.
The Wolves ran switches and pick-and-rolls designed to force Luka into primary defensive roles, and the result was devastating. His inability to slide laterally and contest without fouling became a glaring vulnerability that the Wolves were eager to exploit.
The numbers only magnify the visual evidence. With Doncic on the floor, the Lakers posted a 120.41 defensive rating—worse than any regular-season team this year. When your top player is a defensive liability, especially in high-leverage playoff possessions, opponents smell blood.
The Timberwolves did just that, zeroing in on Doncic each time he was on an island, which made life harder for the Lakers’ bigs and defensive help, who were forced to rotate more than usual.
This wasn’t just a one-game issue either. Throughout the series, Doncic’s lack of lateral quickness, poor foot positioning, and inconsistent effort on closeouts repeatedly showed up.
In a playoff environment where every possession is magnified, being a traffic cone on defense is not sustainable, even for a player as offensively gifted as Luka.
It’s this very flaw that has reportedly become a major concern inside the Lakers front office. According to insiders, this defensive liability played a key role in general manager Nico Harrison’s controversial decision to trade Doncic in the first place,.
Despite the Lakers’ intention to offer Luka a long-term max extension, there are clear indications they expect significant growth on the defensive end if he’s to be the face of the franchise.
Much of this growth may require Luka to address his conditioning. At times, he looked gassed late in games, unable to keep up with faster guards or react quickly to secondary actions.
Fitness has often been a soft criticism of Doncic, who carries more weight than most guards and wings in today’s high-paced NBA. Finding a balance between maintaining his physicality for offensive purposes and trimming down enough to improve defensively may be the next major step in his evolution.
For now, Luka’s Game 5 stands as a cautionary tale: no matter how brilliant you are on offense, your value in the playoffs is just as much about what you can stop as what you can score.
