JJ Redick tried to give a valid explanation for Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic passing up on a good look with the game on the line against the Orlando Magic. Doncic received the ball trailing by one and had some space to take a shot, but he passed it to a covered LeBron James. Little time on the clock forced James to take a miracle shot and miss to suffer the crushing loss.
Redick said the following about Doncic’s mental mishap at the end of the game:
“I mean, I haven’t had a chance to really get into it with Luka. We obviously ran a play for him to get a look. You know, I felt like he had a decent shot. I don’t know if he thought Isaac was going to overhelp LeBron there.”
Doncic hesitated when he expected Jonathan Isaac to play “help defense” and double team him with James on his side. Redick’s comment provided the best explanation for Luka making a mistake by assuming something before it happened. Issac is considered a great defender and made Doncic think twice before putting up the shot.
Luka Doncic’s Reputation Starting To Suffer
Criticism has started to pile up towards Doncic for playing poor defense and complaining too much to officials. Former players and various sports personalities have called out Luka for his flaws contributing to the Lakers’ losses.
The mistake coming with the Lakers having a chance to win the game makes for more valid reasoning to blame Doncic. James publicly said that he thought Luka had a good shot and didn’t understand why he passed it. Multiple strong plays by Doncic at the end of the game will be forgotten because of that final lasting memory.
Orlando made a couple of tough plays down the stretch that showed them wanting the win more. The Lakers have developed a reputation for winning close games, but tonight’s loss showed how slim the margin of error is for this team. Many pundits believe the past month of inconsistency proves they are a pretender.
Pressure On Luka For West Seeding
The Western Conference is starting to shape with two teams clearly at the top and four teams within one game from third to sixth place. Los Angeles must battle with the Denver Nuggets , Houston Rockets , and Minnesota Timberwolves with hopes of having the highest possible seed between them.
A lot of time is left, but things are trending towards two pairings of these four teams facing off in the first round. Home court will be pivotal for the Lakers against strong teams with superstar talents on their respective rosters. Doncic must step up as the best player on the Lakers roster to match the other team’s stars and keep pace.
The counting stats of Luka are as incredible as ever, but he must make winning plays down the stretch for a team with minimal depth to score wins. Doncic will have the greatest pressure on him as the new face of the franchise, and fans will judge him on the team’s success.
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