Despite Luka Doncic’s Commitment To Weight Loss, Paul Pierce Shows 0 Faith In His Defense

Luka Doncic is near perfect. In fact, he’s one of the best in the league. He’s young, talented, consistent, smart, and has the skill set to go down as an all-time great. But even the best have flaws—and for Luka, there are two main ones. First, his defense. He’s never been known for locking down opponents or being a reliable presence on that end. Second, his fitness.

Now, not everyone is built like The King, LeBron James, who still defies gravity at 40. Nor is everyone a workaholic like Kobe Bryant. But in all fairness, Doncic has struggled to meet NBA conditioning standards. It was even reported to be one of the reasons the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers this past February.

It’s not that the Slovenian superstar can’t play heavy minutes or fails to perform late in games. He’s one of the most clutch players in the league. However, weight concerns have been a consistent source of criticism, and Paul Pierce doesn’t see that changing, even though Doncic has supposedly committed to trimming down.

To his credit, Doncic has been working on his conditioning, and the results are beginning to show. For many, that’s a step in the right direction. But Pierce remains unconvinced. On Ticket & The Truth, when Kevin Garnett brought up Luka getting in shape, the Celtics legend responded, “He gon’ go out there and average 38 and 8. Same thing. That don’t mean he going to be a better defender.”

Perhaps this is a wake-up call for Doncic to work on both his fitness and his defense this offseason. Luka becoming even a competent defender would elevate his game to another level, and could push the Lakers team closer to a title.

At the same time, Pierce’s dismissal of Luka’s weight-loss journey feels a bit harsh. After all, Doncic is putting in the effort, which means he’s acknowledged that his conditioning needed work. And that deserves recognition.

Charles Barkley shares a similar view on Doncic

No one can deny Luka’s offensive brilliance. His ability to read the game, make the right passes, and control the tempo is elite. But his lack of defensive effort has always drawn criticism. And Pierce isn’t the only one pointing it out. NBA legend Charles Barkley also believes the 26-year-old needs to step up on that end of the court.

After the Lakers were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the Playoffs this year, Barkley weighed in on what Luka needs to do to elevate his team’s chances next season. Unlike Pierce, he wasn’t dismissive of Luka’s efforts to get in shape. In fact, Barkley believes that improved conditioning could go a long way in helping Doncic reach the next level.

And just like “The Truth”, he also wants the Lakers’ superstar to work on his defense. He said, “You’re an elite player and you’re getting ready to get $300-$400 million. You’ve got to get in shape to earn that money…He can’t guard anybody.” Barkley stated that if Luka starts working on his conditioning, it’ll also help him play better defense.

As per the recent reports, the 26-year-old has been sweating it out in the gym recently. In a few months, we’ll know what that does for his defense.