Luka Doncic is among the principle examples of a superstar poised to take over the next generation of basketball. At 25, he has already achieved great heights with five All-Star and five All-NBA selections alongside a Finals appearance in 2024. He has built a strong relationship with other stars like Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and is known as the next great superstar in the league.
But, like all superstars, reaching the pinnacle of the league is not without criticism. Even James, who is unarguably one of the greatest players ever with unprecedented longevity, receives plenty of criticism for all types of reasons.
Doncic’s most recent criticism came from former Lakers player and current radio broadcaster Michael Cooper. He praised Doncic’s ability to score the ball, but had some interesting critiques of both his physical stature and his game, via his Showtime podcast:
“Luka [Dončić] gives you that triple-double almost about every night, but he’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy. Doesn’t hustle back on defense.”
Doncic’s speed and defense are two of his most often-criticized attributes. He is certainly not as fast as some other primary ball-handlers like his teammate Kyrie Irving, but he makes up for it — like Cooper says — with his scoring ability.
These comments came in the context of a “Start, Bench, Cut” game involving Doncic, Irving and Damian Lillard. Cooper chose to start Lillard, bench Doncic and cut Irving with his above explanation being why Doncic wasn’t the starter among this group.
Lillard is undoubtedly a phenomenal player who, in his prime, was one of the great clutch players in league history. But it’s strange to criticize Doncic for his defense and then put Lillard ahead of him, as both players have never been seen as elite on that end of the floor.
However, all three are incredible players that deserve praise for what they’ve done in this league.
Former Lakers guard Frank Selvy dies at 91
Former Lakers guard Frank Selvy, 91, passed away Tuesday morning. Selvy’s family announced that he died at his home in Simpsonville. The Furman athletic department released the news, with the school’s vice president of intercollegiate athletics, Jason Donnelly, calling Selvy “Furman’s all-time greatest athlete.”
Selvy was famous for his 100-point game at Furman. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets and eventually found his way to Minneapolis to play for the Lakers at the tail end of the 1959-60 season.
He played the final four years of his career with the Lakers in L.A. He was named an All-Star for the 1961-62 campaign — one of two All-Star selections in his nine-year career — and helped lead the Lakers to the postseason in all five of his seasons with the team.
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