The Los Angeles Lakers recent momentum has come to a screeching halt, as they suffered a crushing 111-108 loss to the lowly Brooklyn Nets on Monday night. It was another rough outing for superstar guard Luka Doncic, leading to Colin Cowherd issuing a harsh take on his play for his new team.
While Doncic did post a triple-double for the Lakers (22 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists), he shot an ugly 8-26 from the field, which is a big reason why L.A. lost. After the game, head coach JJ Redick didn't hold back on his team, even though they were missing several key players, such as star forward LeBron James.
"I think it was a very low-level communication game for our team," Redick said. "I don't think being short-handed is an excuse for how we played basketball tonight."
With James sidelined due to a groin injury for the time being, Doncic is going to have to step up and shoulder a bigger load for the Lakers. During his first action with his new squad, though, Doncic hasn't proven to be capable of doing that, and Cowherd doesn't think he will be able to reach that level this season.
"We have to be honest about Luka; he has not been consistently great as a Laker," Cowherd said on "The Herd." "We know he's playing himself into shape. We know he's bad defensively. But when I watch Luka, he doesn't look like Luka two years ago. He'll play himself potentially into it ... I don't think we're gonna see the great Luka this year."
"We have to be honest about Luka [Doncic]: He has not been consistently great as a Laker... when I watch Luka, he doesn't look like Luka 2 years ago. ... I don't think we're gonna see the great Luka this year."
-Colin Cowherd
(via @TheHerd)pic.twitter.com/kvxACKZBZZ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 11, 2025
In 12 games with Los Angeles, Doncic is averaging 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and eight assists per game while shooting an ugly 39.9% from the field. He will have a shot to get the Lakers back in the win column when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
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This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 10:23 AM.