Luka Doncic lit up EuroBasket this summer with numbers that looked straight out of a video game, but one Los Angeles Lakers assistant believes it wasn’t just his scoring that stood out.
Doncic led the tournament with 34.7 points per game while also adding 8.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists. Still, Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean, who worked on Slovenia’s staff during the competition, pointed to another area of Doncic’s game.
“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,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote. “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 was a surprising assessment for a player often questioned for his defense at the NBA level. Conditioning has been one reason cited for his struggles, while others have questioned his mentality. Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce has said before that it is Doncic’s mindset that has been holding him back.
“He has such a heavy workload with all he does as a scorer and playmaker and exerts so much energy while conducting the offense that it may be hard for him to lock in on the other side of the floor,” Jesse Cinquini of Lakers Daily wrote.
Doncic’s defensive reputation in the NBA has been inconsistent, but the effort he showed for Slovenia could signal growth. St. Jean’s praise suggested that when he commits, Doncic is more than capable of holding his own on that end.
It remains to be seen whether his EuroBasket form will translate when the Lakers begin their season on October 21 against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. For now, Slovenia’s staff saw enough to make one thing clear: Luka Doncic was their best defender.
READ MORE: Luka Doncic Trade to Lakers ‘Forced Him to Grow Up’