Luka Doncic discussed his defensive priorities during Los Angeles Lakers training camp, emphasizing team support as a central goal. The 26-year-old guard noted improvements from EuroBasket but acknowledged there is still room to grow.
“Just helping the team obviously. I think I made a lot of improvement in EuroBasket but there’s a lot of way to go,” Doncic said, highlighting the impact of teammates like Marcus Smart.
Doncic’s defensive performance at EuroBasket drew praise, where he also led the tournament in scoring with 34.7 points per game. Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean, who coached Slovenia during the tournament, labeled Doncic the national team’s best defensive player for his positioning, communication, and effort.
St. Jean shared video edits of Doncic’s defensive play with Slovenian head coach Aleksander Sekulic, demonstrating his influence beyond scoring. These highlights reinforced Doncic’s ability to affect games on both ends of the floor.
Since being traded from the Dallas Mavericks on February 2, Doncic has adapted quickly to the Lakers. The deal, which included Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris heading to Los Angeles in exchange for Max Christie, Anthony Davis, and draft picks, reunited Doncic with LeBron James.
Doncic continued his historic scoring pace, posting 30 points with 15 assists in a March 4 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. This performance placed him alongside LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Jerry West as one of four Lakers to reach those totals in a single game.
In the 2025 playoffs, Doncic averaged 30.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists over five games, though the Lakers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 4–1 series.
