Luka Doncic is often criticized for his lackluster defensive effort, and rightfully so. However, former Los Angeles Lakers star Michael Cooper recently took this criticism to the next level.
Given his background as a former Defensive Player of the Year, it’s no surprise that Cooper values defense highly. In a recent interview, he made it clear that he’s not a fan of Doncic, admitting it’s only Doncic’s offense that keeps him on his radar.
“He’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy. Doesn’t hustle back on defense.”
Michael Cooper on Luka Doncic:
“He’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy. Doesn’t hustle back on defense.”
(via Showtime with Coop, h/t @LakersNation) pic.twitter.com/bfXlM0E9wH
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 16, 2024
In general, a player’s elite offensive game often grants them leeway on the defensive end. Doncic has always had to do the heavy lifting on offense, and he’s done an excellent job leading his team to wins. As a result, many people aren’t stressing his defense too much.
But as we saw in the recent NBA Finals, that leeway only goes so far when defense becomes critical, and Doncic’s struggles on that end became all too clear. If Luka doesn’t start locking in on defense, we’re going to see more people hopping on the criticism train. And it’s not going to be pretty.
1:24 of Luka Doncic playing the worst defense you will ever see in the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/88SRPe0All
— 𝙍𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙮 ☘️ (@CelticsRiley) June 13, 2024
