Doc Rivers Proves Nico Harrison and Mavs Right With Big Luka Doncic Admission

With LeBron James sidelined with a groin injury, the Lakers needed some magic to hold on to their second seed – Luka Magic, to be exact. But Doncic’s solo run without LBJ has not worked out well so far, as the LA team has lost three straight games and fallen to the fourth spot. Their latest loss came tonight against the Bucks by a whopping 20 points. And head coach Doc Rivers revealed how he capitalized on the Slovenian Star’s one key weakness to get his team the victory. Maybe, even proving Nico Harrison right in the process!

Sure, Luka had an incredible offensive night, going off for a 45-point double-double. His highest score in a Lakers uniform. But that did not pose a problem for the Bucks, as Rivers revealed postgame, “We guarded him 1-on-1 for the most part. We did send a couple double teams, but our thinking was guard everybody else and you know try to make him work on the other end and see how much he had in the tank really.”

Yes, instead of trying to limit Luka on offense, Doc targeted his defensive ability and conditioning. Something that has been the most questionable aspect of his game. In fact, speculations are that a major reason Nico traded Doncic was because of concerns regarding his conditioning, especially after the superstar struggled in last year’s NBA Finals while being guarded by Jaylen Brown.

Rivers continued, “He had 45, which is a lot. But I liked how it worked out.” Despite Doncic’s scoring outburst, the head coach’s strategy worked, as Luka struggled to create shots for his teammates and was limited to only three assists. Much lower than his season average of 8.3. Moreover, his contribution on defense was limited, further strengthening Harrison’s concerns. However, LeBron’s return could solve this issue.

(Developing Story)

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