BREAKING: Gary Payton Delivers Strong Statement on Luka Doncic's Defense
Luka Doncic is in the midst of what many believe will be a transformative offseason for the 26-year-old Slovenian guard. After a rough 2024-25 season where he got heartbreakingly traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic has come under a lot of criticism in the wake of the Mavericks moving on from him.
Even though modern NBA guards are expected to be greater offensive contributors than defensive players, there is still tremendous value in being a two-way star. That's what former NBA Champion and one of the greatest defensive guards in NBA history, Gary Payton, believes is the next step for Luka Doncic.
Amid his first-ever visit to India for the BudX NBA House event in Mumbai, the 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year shared his strong take on Doncic's defense at a press conference.
Gary Payton addressing the media at the BudX NBA House Press Conference in Mumbai, India.
Picture provided by NBA India
"You have to be dedicated to playing defense. Maybe it’s not good for him (Luka); he’s a scorer. If he puts his mind to it, I tell every kid that I do camps with, it’s a mindset to play defense... You have to have great hands and feet to do that. You have to be able to move. It takes sacrifice to do that. That’s just the way it goes," the former nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team honoree said.
"I don’t think Luka is a defensive player; he’s a scorer. But now. If he wants to, yes. But does he want to do it? That’s up to him, not up to us. He’s an athlete. He’s got great ability, but now does he want to go change it and prove people wrong that he can play defense? If that were me, I would change that. I'll go out there and try to defend somebody, get in shape, and do the things I gotta do."
Payton, the 1996 NBA steals leader, is one of the greatest defenders in NBA history and excelled on that end as a guard. His well-rounded two-way game helped him take the Seattle SuperSonics to multiple NBA Finals in the '90s, but Doncic's offensive brilliance helped him make an NBA Finals appearance in 2024.
With conditioning and defensive concerns plaguing Doncic's last few seasons in Dallas, many have wondered if the Mavericks were right in parting with him, especially with the defensive limitations many have claimed him to have.
If Doncic wants to be remembered as one of the greatest guards the game has ever seen, he will have to make sure he can start changing his defensive reputation starting next season. We know how potent he can be offensively, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists amid a down season in 2024-25.