Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is a generational talent and he has played like a top-five player this season. But unfortunately, L.A. has struggled to build continuity due to injuries, so they have a number of doubters in the NBA media world.
There always seems to be extra noise surrounding Doncic and the Lakers, so it’s no surprise to see that still being the case with the two parties joining forces over the last year. It’s no secret that Doncic has an animated personality on the court as he loves to trash-talk opposing players, fans, and even often gets into it with officials.
Doncic isn’t like that at all off the court, but his competitive spirit takes over in games and it sometimes gets the best of him. That was the case on Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets wgen he picked up his 15th technical foul of the year. This is important because if he earns one more, he will be suspended for a game.
The Slovenian star’s interaction with referees on a game-to-game basis has become a hot topic of discussion lately, mainly centered around him complaining too much and taking himself out of a play.
However, head coach JJ Redick does not take issue with his best player demonstrating his emotions on the court.
“Look, I think he’s a special kind of player, special kind of person and a special kind of competitor,” Redick said before Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. “I would much rather have someone who is trying to go out every night and kill than someone you have to revive with a defibrillator every other day. So, I’ll take Luka all day long.”
As a coach, Redick has shown his own capabilities of being animated on the sidelines, which should inspire his players as he demonstrates a high level of care. So, it makes sense for a former 14-year NBA veteran to back up Doncic, who showcases similar personality traits.
What made Doncic’s 15th technical feel unwarranted was he seemingly did not have an interaction with the referee that called it. Seeing the tight rope the Lakers star now walks with a potential suspension looming, this technical foul feels like there needs to be a review from the league.
Redick mentioned neither he nor the team has heard anything from the NBA regarding whether Doncic’s latest tech will be rescinded. Hopefully, that ends up being the result, as every game matters down the stretch for a Lakers team fighting for playoff positioning and they cannot afford Doncic being suspended.
Luka Doncic didn’t understand 15th technical foul
Luka Doncic is no stranger to referee interactions, along with picking up technical fouls for his conversations with them. His latest one in Denver felt unwarranted, as he is typically animated with a ref leading up to getting a tech.
When talking about it, Doncic was puzzled by the referee’s decision to hand his 15th one and did not receive an explanation after the fact.
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