One of the greatest defensive performances you've ever seen by Luka Doncic

[UpAndComing]

 

[threattonature]

It's funny cause I just saw in the Mavs reddit someone posted defending Luka's defense by pointing out the following stats.

I just saw these game averages for 2024/2025 season:

• 3.4 deflections - 9th in the league (same as Wembanyama)
• 6.2 points of turnovers - the 1st in the league (the second is Tatum with 5.8)
• 0.58 least points given up per possession when guarding ISOs (min 15 situations) - 3rd in the league
• For the isolation defence: 29.4% shots of opponents when guarded by Luka in the field - 2nd in the league (only A. Davis is better)
• For the post-up defence: 26.7% shots when guarded by Luka (they do 50% on Jokic for example)

That's the hard part about measuring defense. Bad defenders sometimes have good stats because teams will hide them on the worst offensive player which gives them a chance to hunt for deflections or it makes their iso stats look good. Same way some great defenders have horrible defensive advanced stats because they are taking on the toughest assignment every game. If you hold a 30 point scorer who's a 50% shooter to 26 on 45% shooting that's a great defensive game but will look bad compared to their teammate who is guarding a non-offensive player that gets 15 on 40% shooting.

 

[Dorian Breh]

"turn 180 degrees and sulk" is his preferred shot contest strategy

 

[Dorian Breh]

It's funny cause I just saw in the Mavs reddit someone posted defending Luka's defense by pointing out the following stats.

I just saw these game averages for 2024/2025 season:

• 3.4 deflections - 9th in the league (same as Wembanyama)
• 6.2 points of turnovers - the 1st in the league (the second is Tatum with 5.8)
• 0.58 least points given up per possession when guarding ISOs (min 15 situations) - 3rd in the league
• For the isolation defence: 29.4% shots of opponents when guarded by Luka in the field - 2nd in the league (only A. Davis is better)
• For the post-up defence: 26.7% shots when guarded by Luka (they do 50% on Jokic for example)

That's the hard part about measuring defense. Bad defenders sometimes have good stats because teams will hide them on the worst offensive player which gives them a chance to hunt for deflections or it makes their iso stats look good. Same way some great defenders have horrible defensive advanced stats because they are taking on the toughest assignment every game. If you hold a 30 point scorer who's a 50% shooter to 26 on 45% shooting that's a great defensive game but will look bad compared to their teammate who is guarding a non-offensive player that gets 15 on 40% shooting.

I wonder if those stats count when he flat out doesnt defend his man like in the OP?

I mean was he really in iso defense in that first clip or was he defending something else, like his hookah pipe?

 

[Damnshow]

His best defensive strategy is whining to the refs so they finally give him something so he could fukk off

(doesn't work in fiba where refs don't suck up to star players)

 

[mag357]

Bruh... I really tried to find fault in the video because alot of these dudes don't be knowing what the fck they're talking about....

But gott damn... There would be a fight in that locker room. Nah nikka... If we gotta play D, u gotta play some D too
Smh

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

It's funny cause I just saw in the Mavs reddit someone posted defending Luka's defense by pointing out the following stats.

I just saw these game averages for 2024/2025 season:

• 3.4 deflections - 9th in the league (same as Wembanyama)
• 6.2 points of turnovers - the 1st in the league (the second is Tatum with 5.8)
• 0.58 least points given up per possession when guarding ISOs (min 15 situations) - 3rd in the league
• For the isolation defence: 29.4% shots of opponents when guarded by Luka in the field - 2nd in the league (only A. Davis is better)
• For the post-up defence: 26.7% shots when guarded by Luka (they do 50% on Jokic for example)

That's the hard part about measuring defense. Bad defenders sometimes have good stats because teams will hide them on the worst offensive player which gives them a chance to hunt for deflections or it makes their iso stats look good. Same way some great defenders have horrible defensive advanced stats because they are taking on the toughest assignment every game. If you hold a 30 point scorer who's a 50% shooter to 26 on 45% shooting that's a great defensive game but will look bad compared to their teammate who is guarding a non-offensive player that gets 15 on 40% shooting.

Or just maybe cherry-picking some possessions during a game to layer confirmation bias (some of which aren’t directly the player’s fault) to tell a story doesn’t reveal the entire picture.