sportingnews
During a challenging previous season, Luka Doncic confronted significant off-court turmoil that could have easily derailed his on-court performance. Nevertheless, he delivered a strong campaign while navigating some of the most difficult circumstances he had ever encountered.
Doncic was rarely able to see his daughters throughout the season, and he acknowledged that the separation made the year particularly tough. "I didn't see them almost the whole season," Doncic said. "Yea I can't go another season like that. You wanna spend time with your kids everyday. So last season was pretty hard. I saw them for 5 days in the whole season which is impossible to do. But you know I had to focus on basketball."
Now with the Lakers, Doncic enters a fresh chapter as the undisputed face of the franchise, and his off-court situation appears to have stabilized for the time being. Much of the team's success will rest on his shoulders.
Los Angeles prioritized building around Doncic this summer, acquiring center Walker Kessler, adding youth and athleticism, and bringing in players who can shoot and attack closeouts. As The Athletic's Dan Woike noted, "It's a team built around a star, but are they (or is he) good enough to get them to the top of the West?"
While Doncic has long been celebrated for his offensive prowess, he believes he has made a significant leap on the defensive end ahead of this season. "Obviously, I'm not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year I really took a step forward," Doncic said. "Obviously, people are going to talk what they want to talk [about] me. But I know, and my team knows, that I think I'm better this year. And that helps the whole team, I think."
Key Analysis
Doncic's defensive improvement since arriving in Los Angeles aligns with the coaching staff's emphasis on that end of the floor. If he can become a more reliable defender, opposing teams will find it much harder to exploit him. The Lakers' front office made upgrading the team's defense a priority this offseason, and Doncic appears to be contributing to that effort. His evolution into a more complete two-way player only adds to his excitement as a player to watch.
Originally reported by sportingnews.