Two Lakers legends didn’t hold back when breaking down Luka Doncic’s performance in the Lakers’ ugly 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns. On Spectrum SportsNet, Robert Horry and James Worthy both pointed to one issue that stood out more than anything else: Luka didn’t move the ball.
Horry, who won seven championships and knows exactly what winning basketball looks like, said Luka fell into the trap of trying to do everything himself.
“He’s trying to do a little too much in my opinion. He needs to share the basketball and stop waiting to pass the ball.”
Horry even referenced a Phil Jackson staple, the ‘4-pass’ rule, where players were required to move the ball four times before anyone even thought about shooting.
“You gotta share the basketball. … That’s the one thing Phil Jackson would do sometimes. He would run this thing called 4-pass. That means you had to pass the ball 4 times before you even thought about taking a shot.”
Worthy echoed the sentiment. The Hall of Famer praised Luka’s talent and said he still wants the ball in his hands, but he couldn’t ignore how stagnant the offense looked.
“I love Luka. I think the ball should be in his hands, but I think a lot of times it’s gotta move. It’s gotta move early. … I think sometimes he’s trying to get the foul. … The ball didn’t move tonight.”
Their comments weren’t random complaints. The numbers backed them up. Luka put up 38 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, but he also had nine turnovers and finished with a team-worst plus-minus of minus-25. The Lakers had only 18 assists as a team, compared to Phoenix’s 35. They also scored just two fast-break points while giving up 28 the other way. A lot of that stemmed from slow decision-making and possessions that stuck in one spot.
To be fair, Luka was the only Laker consistently scoring. The rest of the team struggled badly. Austin Reaves had only 15 points. LeBron James only had 10. Rui Hachimura didn’t score at all. With that kind of support, Luka probably felt pressure to force offense, especially when Phoenix kept hitting threes.
Still, Horry and Worthy weren’t criticizing Luka’s scoring ability. They were pointing to something bigger. The Lakers’ identity under JJ Redick has been built on ball movement, pace, and quick decisions. Against the Suns, none of that existed. When Luka held the ball, defenders loaded up. When he tried to pass late, Phoenix jumped the lanes. The turnovers piled up, and the game slipped away early.
Both legends made the same point in different ways. Luka doesn’t need to be less aggressive, but he needs to read the game earlier, keep teammates engaged, and trust the system. Scoring 38 is great. Making the entire team function is better.
