Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, a game in which Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists but struggled with shooting efficiency, Colin Cowherd offered his assessment of Doncic’s performance since joining the team. Cowherd raised concerns about Doncic’s conditioning and defensive contributions. “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 stated.
Cowherd further elaborated on his observations, expressing doubt about Doncic’s ability to fully regain his peak form during the remainder of the 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.
Luka Doncic Doesn’t Look Like Luka For the Los Angeles Lakers
Since Doncic’s arrival on February 2nd, the Lakers have posted a 12-4 record, including an 8-4 record with him playing. Their momentum was disrupted by a loss to the Boston Celtics, ending their longest winning streak since the 2019-20 championship season, and then again by the loss to Brooklyn. Doncic is currently averaging 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 39.9% from the field and 32.2% from three since joining the Lakers. He is still working his way back from a calf strain that sidelined him for 22 games prior to his Lakers debut.
The Lakers, now with a 40-23 record and holding the third seed in the Western Conference, face a challenging schedule. They will play the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday and the Denver Nuggets on Friday in a demanding back-to-back series. Following these road games, they will return to Los Angeles for a five-game homestand, aiming to solidify their playoff position.