Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is widely regarded as a generational talent who utilizes his extraordinary offensive capabilities to mask his defensive flaws. Whether fair or foul, it's a reputation Doncic has been bestowed over the course of his seven NBA seasons.
Following a summer that revolved around a shocking body transformation and a stellar showing at EuroBasket, however, Doncic appears to be turning over a new leaf.
Doncic turned in a sensational showing at EuroBasket, with critics and supporters equally offering praise for his improved fitness and conditioning, as well as the impact it appears to be having on his game. He was quicker on the drive, seemed to have more energy late in games, and even stepped up on defense.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean spoke with Slovenia head coach Aleksander Sekulić about the impressive quality Doncic displayed on defense.
"At one point during the tournament, sources told ESPN, St. Jean showed a video edit of Doncic's defensive effort to Slovenia's coach, Aleksander Sekulić. St. Jean believed that Doncic, beyond his offensive brilliance, was the team's best defensive player, too. The edit showed -- possession by possession -- Doncic's proper placement, communication with teammates and overall commitment."
It's far too soon to pencil Doncic in for an All-Defense nod, but an increase in defensive consistency may be the final piece to the championship puzzle for one of the NBA's great offensive players.
Luka Doncic heralded as Slovenia's best defender at EuroBasket
The response to this quote is likely the same as it's been any time this conversation has arisen in the past: Skepticism. Doncic's reputation as a below-average defender wasn't crafted by someone who watched a single game, but instead by many who observed the patterns of his career.
Doncic has experienced his share of peaks as a defender, but the baseline expectations have been inconsistency in areas other than offensive execution.
The trend of Doncic showing signs of improvement on defense, however, has been steadier than some might let on. He undoubtedly raised his game as a defender during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the championship round.
Doncic also averaged a career-best 1.8 steals per game in 2024-25—a rather significant increase from his previous high of 1.4.
Steals clearly aren't the end-all, be-all when it comes to defensive consistency, but it's a sign of the increase in effort that Doncic put forth. He wasn't just waiting for defensive rebounds that he could turn into transition opportunities, but was actively looking to make his mark.
Misguided as some of those efforts may have continued to be, they were essential developments to help Doncic get to where he appears to be today.
Perhaps Doncic will never be the second coming of Michael Jordan or Kawhi Leonard, capable of playing lockdown defense and dropping 30 points on the same night. What he can be, however, is consistently engaged and reliably in the position he's supposed to be.
If Doncic can provide consistent effort and adequate rotations on defense, every element of his generational offensive talent will be amplified in 2025-26.