Defense wins championships. Those were the words uttered by Nico Harrison following the completion of the Luka Doncic trade. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar took that one personally, and was ready to rewrite the tired narratives around his supposed troubles on that end of the court.
Doncic has never quite been the defensive liability that media narratives have painted him as. No one would mistake him for an elite perimeter stopper, but at his best, the superstar point guard has been an average to above average player on that end.
The Dallas Mavericks still managed to have a defensive rating of 110.7 during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, ranking them fifth among the 16 teams in the postseason. That kind of success would be tough to have if Doncic was the lackluster option some have described him as.
Still, for the face of the Lakers, it is about consistency. Doncic will have every opportunity to comfortably take the 'at his best' portion of that previous sentiment, and make it a regular occurrence for Los Angeles during the 2025-26 NBA season.
Doncic’s biggest weakness no longer looks like a problem in purple and gold
The Lakers superstar showcased his commitment to the defensive end for Slovenia at EuroBasket 2025. Doncic was tied with Yam Madar for the tournament lead in steals per game with 2.7 a night.
That type of success led to him being nominated for the inaugural Best Defensive Player award at the tournament. Those honors ultimately went to German stopper and former Laker Isaac Bonga.
Still, Doncic being considered for the award told a very loud story. One that many across the NBA media have been paying attention to.
A recent episode of The Hoop Collective focused on the Lakers' improvement. The subject of Doncic's defense did not elude the focus of Tim MacMahon during the conversation. The ESPN reporter shined a spotlight on Doncic's defense.
MacMahon said, "Get this, he was one of the nominees for the best defender award. Now, Luka can do no wrong in Europe. ... If the Lakers are going to be an improved defensive team, I think Luka will have a lot to do with that. If he's in better shape, Luka can be an effective team defender."
Doncic undoubtedly has the size and basketball IQ to at least be average on that end of the floor consistently. The improved conditioning that will come as a result of his body transformation should also pay dividends.
The Lakers will not be able to compete for a championship without a strong defensive unit. The reasons for optimism surrounding their potential improvements are quickly adding up.