The sliver of hope for the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans watching the team struggle continues to be the upcoming offseason. The Lakers will have financial freedom and an opportunity to reshape the roster around Luka Doncic. However, some do not believe Los Angeles has a good sales pitch.
The huge market of Hollywood and one of the best players on the planet — what more would the Lakers need to sell themselves as an attractive destination to the players out there? Well, former NBA coach Sam Mitchell thought the issue with that was Doncic. According to him, playing with Luka is not the draw some may believe it to be.
"Who really wants to play with Luka," Mitchell asked. "If you're a young player that wants to play basketball, run, cut, move, and play both ends of the floor, how are you going to feel when your best player ... don't play defense? And then everybody else is held to a different accountability."
Not only did Mitchell believe Luka does none of these things, but there was actually more. The former Coach of the Year also questioned why NBA players would want to just stand in the corner and wait for a bad shot at the end of the clock when Luka is done dribbling. This was the Doncic experience in Mitchell's eyes.
Role players should be gushing at the idea of joining Luka Doncic
Mitchell talked about throwing on the tape in this discussion and one has to seriously wonder what exact footage he is talking about. At the very least, questioning how limited his access to footage is would be relevant here too. The assessment is completely devoid of truth.
The Luka does not play defense narrative has become a great litmus test for how much of Doncic someone has actually watched. No one is going to sell you on the idea of the Lakers superstar being an elite stopper. However, he's not the complete liability some wish to paint him as.
The idea that players would not want to play with Doncic on the offensive end is infinitely more laughable.
If you are a 3-and-D player looking for a payday, Luka is the guy that helps you secure the bag. If you're a two-way athlete at center, Doncic is the player who will secure a future for you. The superstar point guard has been a legitimate floor raiser since his second season in the NBA. Somehow, that is being forgotten here.
Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Derrick Jones Jr. are just some of the examples anyone can look to for role players who played with Doncic and got a healthy payday thanks to that experience. Spencer Dinwiddie had his career revived in Dallas thanks to Luka.
Some of the recent narratives around Doncic have been downright insufferable. This latest offering from Mitchell ranks right near the top of that list.