Luka Doncic is making his case as more than just an offensive superstar, and his Lakers teammates are taking notice.
The 27-year-old delivered 45 points and 15 rebounds in Los Angeles’ 131-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, but it was his defensive performance that grabbed the attention.
Doncic recorded five steals and drew three charges, becoming the first NBA player to achieve both marks in a single game since player tracking began in 2013-14, according to ESPN Research.
“Obviously, I’m not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year, I really took a step forward,” Doncic said. “Obviously, people are going to talk what they want to talk [about] me. … But I know, and my team knows, that I’m better this year.”
Lakers center Walker Kessler was particularly impressed with his teammate’s defensive effort.
“Five steals and three charges … incredible,” Kessler said. “You know, incredible. Luka doesn’t get enough credit for his defense.”
Head coach JJ Redick also praised Doncic, highlighting his willingness to sacrifice his body for the team.
“I think taking a charge in general is just a form of leadership, right? You’re putting your body on the line for the team,” Redick said. “… He’s trying to win. You see the competitiveness come out so many times on the offensive end, but he’s competitive on the defensive end, too.”
Even Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic acknowledged Doncic’s improvement.
“This year he came back in great shape,” Rajakovic said. “He looks healthy. When he’s healthy and ready to go, he’s just unstoppable. Tonight, he was outstanding.”
When informed of the praise from Kessler and Redick, Doncic smiled before responding with one word.
“Oh. Finally.”
Doncic also explained why he has made drawing charges a bigger part of his game since leaving Dallas.
“It gets the whole team fired up,” Doncic said. “I just wanted to get better at that. And three charges is not bad for one game.”
Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili believes Doncic’s defensive improvement comes down to his mentality.
“You can tell he has pride,” Mamukelashvili said. “He has a pride, and he has a hunger. He has a will to not be labeled as that guy who you can just attack.”
Doncic is now averaging a league-leading 37.7 points per game, having scored at least 40 points in three of his last four appearances.
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