Luka Doncic called out for being 'helpless' on defense in Lakers loss by NBA insider

Los Angeles Lakers fans expressed shock and elation when their team managed to pry a generational offensive talent away from the Dallas Mavericks in the most stunning deal in NBA history.

Laker Nation still can't believe the good fortune of acquiring Luka Doncic, but in L.A.'s first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the glaring weakness in Doncic's game has come to the forefront.

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Doncic's defensive deficiencies have fallen under the NBA playoffs microscope again, and the scrutiny became more intense after the Timberwolves routinely targeted him in Sunday's 116-113 victory in Minneapolis to take a 3-1 series lead.

Afterward, the Lakers fan base grumbled on social media about the officiating and JJ Redick's surprising decision to play his starters the entire second half. (Even the always-positive Magic Johnson questioned Redick on X.)

Perhaps the most stinging criticism came from The Ringer's Zach Lowe, who had one question for Doncic: "Why do you have to get humiliated at the beginning of every single playoff series before you show the world, 'Yeah, I can actually put in a little bit more effort on defense"?

"We're four games into the series, and he's just helpless," Lowe said on his podcast, "The Zach Lowe Show."

"He's just helpless."@ZachLowe_NBA reacts to the defensive effort from Luka Doncic four games into the series vs. Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/B3Moxnq3n7
— The Ringer (@ringer) April 28, 2025

Lowe's rant didn't end there. While he maintains the Mavericks shouldn't have dealt Doncic, Lowe said there are "corners of smart NBA people who would tell you the idea of ... trading Luka is not a crazy idea" because of the 26-year-old five-time All-Star's defensive shortcomings.

"I still think it's a crazy trade, but I'm just tired of like 'I'm gonna be embarrassed until our backs are against the wall and then I'm gonna show you that, yeah, I can put up a little bit of a fight.' How about you put up a f---ing fight in like Game 1? And now you're down 3-1 and you're probably going home."

This isn't the first time Doncic has been ripped by an NBA insider. During Dallas' NBA Finals defeat to the Boston Celtics last June, ESPN's Brian Windhorst labeled Doncic's effort "unacceptable" because he was a "hole on the court" defensively.

Brian Windhorst BLASTS Luka Dončić on 'SportsCenter with SVP' after Game 3 of the NBA Finals. 🏀🔥🔥🔥

(Doris Burke also called out Luka's defensive effort on the ESPN on ABC broadcast: https://t.co/iAs1rZSpdI ) pic.twitter.com/rGlFwPYwNN
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 13, 2024