On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers faced one of the toughest teams in the NBA, Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets. The Lakers secured a dominant 123-100 victory, with Luka Doncic delivering a stellar performance in a game where he was expected to step up. Head coach JJ Redick and Doncic shared a lighthearted moment.

Doncic, known for his offensive brilliance, put on one of his best performances since joining the Lakers—not just as a scorer, but as an active presence on the defensive end. He racked up four steals, an uncommon sight for the superstar guard.

After the game, head coach JJ Redick and Doncic shared a lighthearted moment regarding his defensive effort. “Luka, it’s good to have you f—— back,” Redick told him. “Four steals,” Doncic responded. “First Team All-Defense. First Team All-Defense,” Redick joked back.

It was a charismatic exchange between the two, but it also highlighted a significant narrative—Doncic has never been recognized for his defense. In fact, he has often been considered one of the league’s weaker defenders.

Luka Doncic’s defensive history: a longstanding criticism

For years, Doncic has been one of the most electrifying offensive players in the NBA. His ability to score from anywhere, create plays, and dictate the pace of a game has cemented him as an undeniable superstar. However, defense has long been viewed as his Achilles’ heel.

Since entering the league in 2018, Doncic has been criticized for his lack of lateral quickness, inconsistent on-ball defense, and at times, a visible lack of effort on that end. During his time with the Dallas Mavericks, he was frequently targeted in defensive matchups, and his conditioning was often scrutinized.

Some analysts argued that his massive offensive workload forced him to conserve energy on defense, while others suggested it was simply a lower priority in his game. Reports even speculated that his defensive shortcomings played a role in the Mavericks’ decision to trade him, believing his overall impact could be limited without improvement on that end.

A defensive turning point with the Lakers?

If Doncic can maintain this level of defensive effort, the implications for the Lakers could be massive. His offensive brilliance is already a game-changer, but a more engaged version of Doncic on defense would help fortify the team’s structure and reduce its vulnerabilities.

With defensive-minded veterans like LeBron James already in place, an improved Doncic could elevate the Lakers’ NBA championship ceiling significantly.

It remains to be seen whether this performance was an outlier or a sign of a genuine shift in his defensive mentality. But if Doncic continues to show commitment on that end of the floor, his impact on the Lakers could be even greater than anticipated.