Luka Doncic was brought to Los Angeles to elevate the Lakers. So far, he’s definitely taken over-but not everyone’s thrilled about how it’s going.
After a rocky March where the Lakers dropped key games and chemistry seemed to slip, attention has turned to Doncic’s style of play. FS1’s Chris Broussard, usually a vocal supporter of the Slovenian star, didn’t hold back on First Things First this week.
“I love Luka, I’ve called him ‘Luka Legend,'” Broussard said. “But man, the guy is just monopolizing the offense right now. It’s too much.”
The issue isn’t just the volume of Doncic’s touches-it’s who’s getting left out. Broussard pointed out that even LeBron James, at age 40 still one of the most intelligent and efficient players in the game, has been turned into a glorified floor-spacer in the current offense. “That’s not how you use LeBron,” Broussard said. “It’s borderline disrespectful.”
If LeBron’s the passenger, who’s driving the Lakers’ fFuture?
That frustration isn’t new. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst made similar comments during last year’s NBA Finals, calling out Doncic’s defensive lapses and tunnel-vision offense. Now, the same issues are showing up in purple and gold-and at the expense of a living legend.
To be fair, Doncic has dealt with a lot this season, including injuries around him and the pressure of filling LeBron-sized shoes whenever James has sat out. But the grace period seems to be over. This is LeBron’s team-or at least it was supposed to be.
Zach Lowe weighed in on The Lowe Post, hinting that the Lakers’ locker room isn’t exactly thrilled with the current dynamic. “LeBron didn’t come back to stand in the corner while someone else takes 30 shots and gives up 30 points on the other end,”Lowe said.
James holds a player option this summer. If things don’t change, people around the league are already whispering: could LeBron walk? It wouldn’t be the first time he’s pivoted to find a better shot at a title. And right now, the Lakers look more like a solo act than a championship-caliber team.
Luka Doncic Called Out by Former NBA Champion After Lakers Latest Loss
The Los Angeles Lakers have come back down to earth recently, as they have lost seven of their past 10 games to fall to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. After their loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, Kendrick Perkins took aim at Luka Doncic and his defensive effort.
Doncic was picked up in a shocking deal with the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the trade deadline, and he’s begun to look more like himself after a slow start with his new team, as he’s averaging 27.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. Amid L.A.’s struggles, he is pointing the finger at himself and LeBron James to right the ship.
“I think me and Bron, think we should be the guys to do that,” Doncic said after the team’s 118-106 loss to the Magic. “That’s on me. Obviously, I’ve got to do better, I’ve got to talk more. I talked in the first half, then just kind of [let my] voice down and I shouldn’t do that.”
While Doncic has begun to find his footing on offense, his defense remains an issue that the Lakers have to address. After losing to Orlando, Perkins took aim at Doncic’s lackluster defensive effort. saying the superstar point guard needs to take accountability for his poor play on that side of the ball.
“The defensive effort that Luka has been putting forth has to be called out,” Perkins said on “NBA Today.” “He has to do better defensively. He has to bring that energy like he does on the offensive side of things. He cannot be a liability, because teams are going to search him out.”
Doncic has never been known for his defensive abilities, but with a bigger spotlight on him than ever with the Lakers, he needs to hold his end of the bargain on that end of the floor if the team intends on going on a deep playoff run this year.
Los Angeles will look to get themselves back on track when they face off against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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