While Luka Doncic has put up magnificent numbers this season, there are some Los Angeles Lakers fans who are starting to express frustration with him lately. The team has lost five of its last seven games, and the criticism of the Slovenian superstar is starting to surge once again, just as it did last season after the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Lakers.
Critics have focused on Doncic’s subpar defense. But Jay Williams, a former NBA player turned ESPN analyst, pointed out another flaw in Doncic’s game when he was asked if he trusts the six-time All-Star to lead a championship team (h/t Fadeaway World).
“No,” Williams said. “I think Luka is one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen in the history of the game, but I think he has losing habits. I think he has bad habits… His impact on the game is not aligned with the statistical output. You see the crazy numbers, but I don’t know if it impacts winning.
“No. 1 of that is he leads the NBA in turnovers per game,” Williams continued. “The Lakers are one of the worst transition defenses in the league. So that impacts that aspect of it because they’re not good at that. Secondly, was a stat that I saw online that really blew my mind.
“So, of 13 players in the NBA this season who have played in at least 30 games and who have a usage rate of over 30, where do you think Luka is of those 13 players in the NBA this season [in impact]?” Williams added. “…He’s tied for last with Kawhi Leonard, with Kawhi Leonard in impact. And this is in team offensive rating.”
Doncic averages 4.1 turnovers a game, which is a lot, even for a player who leads the NBA in usage rate at 37.7%. It’s one reason the Lakers rank 20th in turnover percentage and opponents’ points off turnovers per game.
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Another factor that hinders L.A.’s transition defense is Doncic’s habit of asking referees for foul calls while the action goes the other way, something Williams also talked about.
“You see him every single play screaming at the refs, yelling at the refs, and not even getting back in the frame defensively,” Williams stated. “I know a lot of the talk is going to be about LeBron [James]. A lot going be talking is how they can play together, but at some point, I think he’s one of the most talented players, I just don’t know if he’s the leader that people projecting him to be that actually matches his statistical output.”
Altogether, Doncic is averaging 32.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.4 steals a game. He’s shooting 47% from the field and 35.7% from 3-point range, and he’s leading the league in scoring average, 3-point attempts, 3-point makes, free throw attempts and made free throws per game.
But when he has high-turnover games and is slow getting back on defense, it leads to this type of criticism. Doncic, who turns 27 years of age on Saturday, is one of the three to five greatest basketball players in the world right now, but just like everyone else, he still has room for improvement.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: ESPN analyst: Luka Doncic has ‘losing habits,’ doesn’t impact winning