Luka Doncic gave Toronto an unpleasant choice Sunday: throw the ball where he could reach it, or drive toward a spot he had already claimed. Dave McMenamin’s ESPN report credits him with five steals and three charges drawn in the Lakers’ 131-125 win. I would put the charges first in the next team meeting. The Lakers should build his defensive job around seeing the play early and holding his ground.
As of Monday, Nov. 2, that is the useful lesson from his night against the Raptors. Chasing another five-steal game would be a lousy assignment. Asking Doncic to recognize a drive, arrive before it and finish the possession with a rebound gives him a job the Lakers can demand again. The highlight is the collision. The work is getting there before the collision becomes a foul on him.
Our earlier case for Doncic defending from the opening tip was about when the effort arrives. Toronto supplies a more specific answer about what to ask him to do. I want him reading the floor from a help position, with clear instructions about when to meet the driver and who covers the player he leaves.
Give Him a Place to Read the Drive
McMenamin identified the opponents on those charges: RJ Barrett twice and Scottie Barnes once. That makes the lesson more useful than a generic plea to try harder. Doncic helped end possessions against different ballhandlers by being in their way. The coaching question should be how to create more opportunities for that kind of anticipation without abandoning a shooter elsewhere.
I would start with the assignment away from the ball. When the matchup allows it, put Doncic where he can see both his man and the developing drive. Tell the defender nearest him what happens if he steps across. The next pass should have a defender waiting for it, rather than an argument over whose rotation it was.
I would practice that decision with a pass available to the corner. Doncic should have to choose between meeting the drive and staying close enough to contest the kickout. The teammate behind him should have to make a choice, too. Rehearse the whole possession, including the pass that punishes an unnecessary rotation. The point is to give him a chance to make an early decision instead of rescuing a possession after the driver has already reached the basket.
The distinction affects how his teammates should defend, too. I would ask the defender on the ball to guide the drive toward the agreed help, staying attached as long as possible. Simply getting beaten and pointing toward Doncic would turn a coordinated assignment into an emergency. Help works better when the player providing it has some idea where the ball is coming from.
There is also a reason to resist making charges a quota. Basketball Reference lists Doncic with five personal fouls Sunday. I want his judgment rewarded, including the possessions when he stays home because the help would arrive late. The goal is a useful defensive decision. Taking contact is one possible result, and giving away a foul would defeat the purpose.
My preference is to make Doncic’s responsibility easy to communicate: see the ball, know the next rotation and make the early decision. I would have him call out the help before the driver arrives. A teammate should hear where he intends to go while there is still time to respond, rather than discover the plan when two defenders meet at the ball.
The Rebound Completes the Assignment
The other number I would circle is 15. Basketball Reference’s Toronto box score gives Doncic 15 rebounds, all defensive. The steals end possessions immediately; a missed shot still needs somebody to collect it. His work on the glass belongs in the same conversation as his anticipation.
Walker Kessler also finished with 15 rebounds, including 10 on defense, according to that box score. He added three blocks. I would use those contributions to reinforce a shared responsibility: when the center contests, the guards must be prepared to finish the play. Kessler’s presence should make their assignments clearer, not make rebounding somebody else’s department.
We have already argued for giving Kessler help on the defensive glass. Doncic’s Toronto line offers a concrete example of a guard contributing there. I would still grade the contact before the rebound, rather than award credit only to whoever eventually holds the ball. Keeping an opponent away can be the useful action even when a teammate gets the statistic.
That would also keep the Lakers from building their expectations around the most spectacular part of Sunday’s performance. Five steals are wonderful. A defender can make the correct read and never have a pass come within reach. He can stay between his man and the basket without drawing a charge. He can help secure a rebound without touching it. Those possessions should survive the film session.
Doncic’s offensive night makes the defensive participation more persuasive. Basketball Reference records 45 points and six assists. I would not use that workload as permission to stand around when the shot goes up at the other end. I would use it as a reason to define his defensive job carefully. Ask him to see the possession early, rather than make every assignment depend on a desperate recovery.
There is plenty left to clean up. The same box score lists seven turnovers for Doncic. Stealing the ball back is no reason to become comfortable giving it away. His defensive contribution deserves its own praise, while the offense still gets an honest accounting of the possessions it lost.
Nor does a six-point win establish that a team has solved its defense. I want the Lakers taking a specific habit out of Toronto: give Doncic a clear view of the play, support his help with a rotation and demand that he stay involved through the rebound. For the next film session, I would separate those decisions from their results. Stop the clip before the pass leaves the ballhandler’s hands. Ask whether Doncic is in a position to help and whether somebody has his next assignment covered. Then run the rest. A steal should earn praise for the read that produced it; a failed gamble should not become acceptable because the previous gamble worked. That is how I would turn an exceptional night into a repeatable responsibility.
Let the steal totals vary. Make the positioning part of his regular job.