While having Luka Doncic on the roster is universally viewed as a good thing, a pair of NBA experts explained why the Los Angeles Lakers are starting to realize they did not fleece the Dallas Mavericks in February
When the Lakers were offered the chance to acquire Doncic earlier this year, the obvious response was yes. Especially when they didn’t have to give up a bunch of future first-round draft picks, and were able to move talented but often-injured big man Anthony Davis. To most around the league, the deal was seen as a massive win for LA. And it still does, for the most part.
Over the first 23 games of his first full season for the Lakers, the Slovenian has looked outstanding on offense. He leads the league in scoring (33.5 PPG) and is putting up some of the best numbers of his eight-year career. The 26-year-old seems like an MVP candidate. That is, if you don’t put a high value on defense and accountability.
While the LA Lakers had a very good start to the season, the warts that concerned the Mavericks are becoming a problem for their current team, and it is a key part of why they went 5-7 in December. The young superstar continues to be a defensive liability and constantly complains to referees months after he seemed motivated to prove his naysayers wrong and got in better physical shape this offseason.
Is Luka Doncic Unfixable?
It was a topic of conversation on the Open Floor NBA Show, with insider Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols, and the pair looked at why the Lakers have a big Luka Doncic problem they may not be able to fix soon.
“Luka Doncic, defensively, is the problem with the Los Angeles Lakers,” Mannix proclaimed. In response, Nichols agreed, but explained why the organization must do if they hope to get the most out of Doncic while also dealing with his major flaws.
“You know how LeBron James is not going to get into a time machine and become 30 again, Luka Doncic is never gonna be a great defensive player. Luka Doncic is probably never going to stop arguing with referees and is never gonna put in the effort and energy on defense that he does on offense,” she said.
“And this is the thing that the Dallas Mavericks decided, ‘You know what? Trade him.’ I think that was a terrible call,” she added. “I would never trade Luka Doncic, but I would decide, ‘This isn’t going to change, I have to build differently around him.'”
While Dallas fans still wish they had him on the roster, Lakers supporters are now realizing why the Mavericks gave up on one of the best players in the game before he even turned 30.
