Defense wins championships. That’s always been the mantra of those who have gone the extra mile and won a title. However, that isn’t the area of the game in which Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers excels. Ahead of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, though, the Lakers need Doncic to step his game up on that side of the floor since it could affect their overall performance.
When talking about how great Doncic is, it’s usually the offensive side of things being talked about. The Slovenian star is a sensational player when his team needs him to score. He can create for himself and his teammates in more ways than one. The five-time All-Star is also lethal from anywhere on the floor as he’s capable of making shots over any defender.
However, his slow-footedness has been a weakness of his game, especially on the defensive end. He’d often be the target of opposing teams because of it.
On Tuesday, Udonis Haslem, a three-time champion for the Miami Heat, talked about how Doncic needs to improve defensively. On the recent episode of his show with former NBA player Mike Miller, “The OGs Show,” Haslem explained why it’s important.
“Luka’s gon’ have to guard somebody, or at least try,” Haslem said.
“I’m looking at the teams ahead of you, there’s no where to hide.. they’re gonna put his a** in action. He’s gonna have to guard.. you have to f*cking guard.
Udonis Haslem challenges Luka Doncic defense ahead of the playoffs
“I’m looking at the teams ahead of you, there’s no where to hide.. they’re gonna put his a** in action. He’s gonna have to guard.. you have to f*cking guard”
(Via @theOGsShow) pic.twitter.com/GL3x4Wfdxq
— Sports Legacy (@Sports_Legacyy) April 15, 2025
Doncic has always been criticized for his lack of defensive effort. However, he does most of the work on the offensive end as he dedicates most of his time and energy to that side.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach grades Bronny James’ rookie season
The regular season ended with Bronny James being arguably the most-talked-about rookie in the league. The 55th pick of the Los Angeles Lakers gained a ton of attention for being the son of LeBron James. Due to this, he was often under the microscope on and off the court.
After the season ended, head coach JJ Redick gave a huge compliment to the 6-foot-1 rookie guard.
“I give him an A+. How he has personally handled a lot of attention, good and bad, he doesn’t ever break character. He’s the same guy every day and he doesn’t allow the good attention to get to him. He doesn’t allow the bad attention to get to him and he just continues to work,” Redick said.
James appeared in 27 games this season, averaging 2.3 points on 31.3 percent shooting from the field.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
