People who enjoy watching the Lakers, whether inside the arena or on television, surely get the most out of what Luka Doncic does on the court, but perhaps not everyone notices a major detail in his game that causes the team to be inconsistent when it comes to winning.
Doncic stands out as one of the five best players in the entire NBA, but there is something in his game that may have prevented him from becoming the very best, at least for now. The Slovenian player is the Lakers’ great young star, forming a partnership with LeBron James that keeps the starting lineup among the top teams.
With the ball in his hands, everyone knows something good is about to happen offensively. However, the big problem appears when he has to go after the ball against opponents, because quite simply, either he does not care, or he does not know how to do it.
Luka Doncic’s biggest problem: defense
Luka Doncic is a spectacle when attacking the opposing basket, but he does nothing, not even attempting to help his team on defense. That is why he has been heavily criticized, and now another blow has arrived.
This time it was Colin Cowherd who joined the pile of criticism directed at the European for not helping his teammates recover the ball on the floor. He even compared him to former Lakers player and Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony.
Luka Doncic does not make an effort on defense
The comparison with Anthony makes sense offensively. Carmelo Anthony, a 6-foot-8 player, was an extremely powerful presence with the ball. It was difficult to stop him, given his physical build and constant focus on scoring.
However, throughout his entire NBA career, he was also harshly criticized because he did not make the effort to do anything defensively. He carefully limited his energy, using it only when he was on the attack.
Now this debate has resurfaced because, for Cowherd, Doncic is the same type of player that Carmelo once was. Both players are outstanding on offense, but on the defensive end, they provide nothing, nor do they show any intention of changing that. Naturally, the criticism has been fierce.
I’ve said this before about Luka when he came to the Lakers. I said, ‘Stop pretending he’s LeBron.’ LeBron, Kobe, MJ in their prime, Duncan in his prime, Kareem in his prime, Bird in his prime – these guys gave you maximum defensive effort. D-Wade in his prime.
Luka’s Carmelo. A better version. He’s never going to be in great shape for any extended period. He’s not interested. Defense is a hobby. Sometimes he’s into it, and then he loses patience or interest.
Cowherd stated.
The Lakers’ record disguises Luka Doncic’s performance
The Lakers have maintained a winning record during the 2025-26 season. They started at full speed, then stumbled, but now appear to be back on track. They currently stand at 29-19, ranking seventh in the Western Conference.
However, for Cowherd, this should not fool people into believing they are a serious championship contender.
Do you know who the three slowest defensive players in the league are? James Harden is number one. Do you know who number two is? Luka. You know who number three is? LeBron. In the entire league. They have two of the three slowest players.”… “What does that mean? It’s roster construction. And when Austin Reaves comes back, it’s going to be fool’s gold.
Colin said.
If the Lakers truly want to aspire to reach the NBA Finals, they will need to get their star more involved on the defensive end or bring in players who are fast and possess that skill, because LeBron James is not the solution to this problem either.
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