“He’s the worst transition defender in history of basketball” – NBA scout asserts Luka Doncic is defensive liability for Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is a generational talent with the ball in his hands, but he still has some weaknesses. One scout recently did not mince words when breaking down an area he does not excel in.
In 62 games this season, Luka Doncic is averaging 32.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.1 assists. There's no denying he's an MVP-level player on offense, but it is a different story on defense.
During a recent episode of "The Lowe Post," ESPN's Zach Lowe and Tim MacMahon dove into Luka's defensive woes. It was there that MacMahon mentioned a steep accusation a scout made against him.
“I did have a scout tell me he’s the worst transition defender in the history of basketball.
“When he said that, I thought he had analytical evidence. I’m like, ‘Statistically?’ And he goes, ‘No, just watch him.’”
The Dallas Mavericks need Luka Doncic to take a step forward on the defensive end
It goes without saying that the Dallas Mavericks will need Luka Doncic to improve defensively if they ever want to get anywhere. The 24-year-old will also need to get better on that end if he wants to cement himself as a top player in the NBA.
Standing at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, Luka has the physical ability to guard multiple positions. That being said, it's clear he tries to preserve his energy for offense as he is the focal point on that end.
The main reason why the Mavericks need Luka to do more on that end is because of their roster shakeup. At the trade deadline, they parted ways with one of their best perimeter defenders to bring in Kyrie Irving.
Similar to Luka, Kyrie Irving is not much of a threat on the defensive end. With their defense taking a hit, they need a collective effort to figure things out on that end of the floor. It won't matter how good their offense is if they aren't able to get stops.
Right now we are seeing the effects of the Mavericks' poor defense. If the season were to end today, they would not make the postseason. Dallas currently sits in 11th place in the Western Conference with a record of 37-40. There is still hope for them to turn things around though as the OKC Thunder only have a one-game lead over them in the standings.
What the scout said might be an exaggeration, but it's still clear Luka could afford to make strides on defense.