Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, where Luka Doncic finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists but struggled with efficiency, shooting eight-for-26 from the field and three-for-10 from beyond the arc, Colin Cowherd shared his assessment of Doncic’s performances with the Lakers, questioning the star’s conditioning and defensive impact since joining the team.
“We have to be honest about Luka [Doncic]: He has not been consistently great as a Laker. We know he’s been playing himself into shape, we know he’s bad defensively,” Cowherd said.
He elaborated on his concerns regarding Doncic’s form and ability to return to his peak level this season.
“But when I watch Luka, he does not look like Luka two years ago. So, he’ll potentially play himself into it… It’s very difficult to play yourself into shape when you don’t play until like February. So, I don’t think we’re going to see the great Luka this year. I think we’ll get a better version of this but we won’t see the very best of Luka – he needs an offseason to get into better shape,” Cowherd added.
Lakers navigate playoff push as Luka Doncic finds his rhythm
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Since Doncic's arrival on February 2, the Los Angeles Lakers have won 12 of their last 16 games, including an 8-4 record with him on the court. Their momentum was halted on Saturday when their longest winning streak since the 2019-20 championship season was snapped by the Boston Celtics.
Doncic is currently averaging 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, eight assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 32.2% from three since joining the Lakers. He continues to work his way back from a calf strain that sidelined him for 22 games before his debut, showing flashes of his elite playmaking despite inconsistencies in scoring efficiency.
Now sitting at 40-23 and holding the third seed in the Western Conference after back-to-back losses, the Lakers face a challenging stretch ahead. They will take on the Milwaukee Bucks (36-27) on Thursday night before a matchup against the Denver Nuggets (42-23) on Friday in a demanding back-to-back series. Following those games, the team will return to Los Angeles for a five-game homestand as they look to solidify their position in the Western Conference playoff race.