The most useful Luka Doncic play to carry out of Utah might be the one that ended with him on the floor. Khobi Price described Doncic stepping into Keyonte George’s path for a fourth-quarter charge in Sunday’s Lakers win. A player capable of deciding a game with his shooting also decided to put his body between a driver and the basket. I want that choice in the opening minutes, too.
Doncic scored 52 points in the 132-123 victory, according to ESPN’s final box score. Celebrate every bit of it. But as of Monday, Oct. 26, my demand for the next game is simpler than another scoring eruption: give the Lakers the same defensive attention before they need rescuing.
Price’s report includes the right assessment from JJ Redick: “He didn’t start the game with the right physicality on Bailey.” The coach also praised Doncic’s defense as the game progressed. A strong response earns credit without making the opening assignment disappear.
The Stop Belongs Beside the Shot
Price described Doncic stripping Ace Bailey before making the three that sent the Lakers into halftime ahead 74-71. His account also places the George charge after Doncic’s tying three in the fourth quarter. That is the sequence I would keep in the film session: make the offensive play, get into position, make the defensive play. Enjoying a basket should not consume the next possession.
Basketball Reference’s first-quarter box score has Utah at 47 points on 31 field-goal attempts, with six offensive rebounds. Doncic scored 17 in that period, per the same source, and the Lakers still trailed by 18. That is an ugly return on so much scoring. The Lakers should want their best offensive player’s early production to build a lead. In Utah, they were struggling to stay within reach. Cutting off another try after a miss would help.
ESPN’s final game data credits Doncic with two steals. It also records George’s offensive charge at 3:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. Those are useful markers, but the target should extend beyond events that earn a box-score entry. Finding the right position before a drive can be valuable even when the ball goes somewhere else. I would rather Doncic discourage a pass than need a spectacular recovery after it arrives.
That is why I resist turning this into a demand for more gambling. Reaching for every passing lane would make a very different assignment out of Sunday’s lesson. I want him attached to the possession: know the player he is responsible for, see the drive developing, and arrive with enough time to make a legal play. Getting set ahead of the driver gives him a chance to draw the charge without a desperate last step into traffic.
Our account of Doncic’s 52-point game and improved ball security addressed what the Lakers did with possession. Protecting the ball lets Doncic and his teammates choose the shot. Securing the defensive rebound keeps the opponent from choosing another one. I want the Lakers treating both as responsibilities for their guards.
Start With Contact, Then Go Get the Ball
ESPN lists six offensive rebounds for Bailey and 20 for Utah. The team total does not tell us which Laker missed an assignment on every rebound, and I would not hang all of it on Doncic. It does make Redick’s criticism of his early physicality worth carrying into the next game. A defender can do useful work without blocking a shot, stealing a pass or ever touching the ball. Meet the rebounder before he gets a runway.
Basketball Reference’s quarter box scores sharpen the timing: five of Bailey’s six offensive rebounds came in the first quarter. Waiting for halftime to address that assignment leaves too many possessions available before the correction.
Make that an explicit part of Doncic’s opening assignment. When the shot goes up, find the opponent before turning into an outlet target. If a teammate collects the rebound because Doncic kept someone away from it, count that as a successful possession. Nobody needs to invent a new award for boxing out. Just stop treating it as a favor the scorer is doing for the center.
We made the broader case for helping Walker Kessler finish defensive possessions before the Utah visit. That responsibility still applies when Kessler has a quiet scoring game. ESPN lists him at two points and seven rebounds Sunday. His offensive total should have no bearing on whether a teammate puts a body on an opponent after the next miss.
The Lakers roster and depth chart offers different combinations around Doncic. My standard for him would stay consistent across them. Help when the assignment calls for it. Recover when the ball moves. Make contact when the shot leaves the shooter’s hand. Lineup choices can change who handles a matchup; they should not decide whether the star participates in completing the possession.
There is a reasonable workload question here. ESPN recorded 30 field-goal attempts and 10 assists for Doncic against Utah. Asking the same player to create offense and remain attentive on defense is a substantial job. Give him a clear assignment he can execute while carrying that load. If Redick wants him staying with a perimeter shooter, tell him who takes the driver. If he is responsible for helping inside, identify who covers the pass back out. Leave fewer decisions for him to make while scrambling.
Grade those assignments independently of his shooting. A missed jumper followed by a correct defensive rotation deserves encouragement. A made jumper followed by a lost assignment still needs a correction. Redick should be able to point to the exact responsibility on either possession, without checking whether the shot went in first.
Nor would I use this game to declare the defense fixed. ESPN has the Jazz at 123 points and 95 field-goal attempts. The Lakers won a game in which their opponent had plenty of opportunities. The useful response is to identify an assignment they can execute earlier, then demand it before the next opponent starts collecting extra chances.
Portland visits Tuesday, according to the Associated Press recap carried by ESPN. I would judge Doncic’s opening stint by whether he meets his man, stays involved away from the ball and helps end possessions. None of that needs to wait for his jumper to warm up. The Lakers have already seen the defensive response. Now ask for it at the tip.