When we think of Luka Doncic, the last aspect of his game that comes to mind is his defence. The Mavs superstar is indeed not known for his defensive abilities, but Luka believes he is improving a lot in his own half.
We all know the genius of Luka Doncic. We all know his enormous qualities as a scorer, his exceptional game vision, his admirable footwork and his remarkable versatility. But we must admit, as soon as Luka finds himself in defense, it is immediately more complicated. Often targeted by opposing attacks, especially during the last Playoffs against the Suns, Doncic has taken the bad habit of being overtaken due in particular to his lack of speed and mobility.
The Suns are RELENTLESSLY hunting Luka pic.twitter.com/WS9ZQQXYG3
— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) May 5, 2022
So one of Luka’s big goals heading into the 2022-23 season was to improve in his own half and become something other than the number one weak spot in Dallas’ overall solid defense. So he has made sure to start the current campaign in the best possible shape unlike previous years, he also relies heavily on assistant coach and defensive expert Sean Sweeney, and is gradually asking for more defensive responsibilities while communicating max with his friends. Concretely, what does it give? Good results according to Doncic himself (via The Dallas Morning News).
“People won’t want to admit it, but I really hit a big leap this year. […] I think I’m playing much better in defense than in my first four years, and I think I’ve taken a big step forward. »
If we want to base ourselves on figures, we see for example that Luka is having his best season in interceptions with practically two stolen balls per game. A good sign that goes in the direction of the Slovenian’s words, but we know that a high number of steals is not necessarily synonymous with good defense. So Sean Sweeney goes further.
“He has really good instincts. He is very intelligent, he knows our defensive patterns extremely well. And that’s one of the reasons why he intercepts so many balls. He is often in the right place and makes the effort for it. »
Luka Doncic in defense, would this no longer be a punchline? In any case yes, the progress is there even if it must be admitted that the guy started from afar. We are not going to lie to each other, Luka will never be a lockdown defender, and it would be unfair to ask him that anyway given all he has to do on offense (34 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists on average this season) and in the different areas of the game to allow Dallas to win matches. Nevertheless there is a difference between letting your teammates play 4 against 5 in defense, and doing the job to no longer represent a weak point in your own half of the field. This difference, he fills it more and more.
“He wants to have the full package. Few can say they own this. We hope to be able to help him achieve this goal. »
– Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic
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Source texte : The Dallas Morning News
