When Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic at last month’s deadline, he hinted that a major reason behind it was the superstar’s concerning defense. “The players that we’re bringing in, we believe, exemplify that [culture]. Defense wins championships, and we’re bringing in one of the best two-way players in the league… If you guys can name a First-Team All-NBA players that are also First-Team Defensive players, that’s a unique unicorn to try to find, and we were able to find that.” The GM said, backing his decision to pick Anthony Davis over Luka.
The truth is, Luka is so great offensively that his defense often gets overlooked. However, that’s not been the case since he has come under JJ Redick’s wing. While the Slovenian star is still putting up All-NBA numbers, Redick has also been able to unlock his defensive prowess – something that Jason Kidd failed to do in Dallas, at least to this extent.
On air announcers for tonight’s Lakers vs Nuggets clash even highlighted during the live broadcast, “He’s got great instincts, obviously, offensively, but JJ Reddick says he’s got excellent instincts defensively too. He just hasn’t always had that full time commitment to defense.” His colleague backed this claim by adding, “You know, he’s got the IQ for it, and then he also has a component that’s so important for teams defensively… Luka ends defensive possessions because he’s such a great defensive rebounder. It’s such a weapon to have as your point guard, a guy that can regularly get eight to 10 defensive boards a game.”
Yes, Doncic is a constant triple-double threat and that does not happen if you’re not an elite defender. Since joining the Lakers, he is averaging 7.7 defensive rebounds. Moreover, he has been extremely quick at picking his opponents’ pockets, getting nearly two steals per game. Because of Luka’s presence, the Lakers have had the fifth best defensive rating since the All-Star break, at 110.8.
(Developing Story)
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