NBA – Former big man rages: “Luka Doncic is the worst defensive star in modern basketball”

Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif

The Lakers are no longer in the playoffs, and their main stars are obviously under fire. Luka Doncic in particular has been fiercely criticized for his defense, with Kendrick Perkins not holding back on ESPN.

Unfortunately for him, he was unable to save the Lakers in his first playoff campaign under his new colors. Luka Doncic suffered a back injury in the first half of Game 5, which affected him for the remainder of the game, which the Lakers eventually lost. It was already the second time he had suffered a setback in the first round against the Timberwolves, after being ill in Game 3.

That said, these extenuating circumstances did not stop the superstar from facing criticism. First and foremost, it was his defense that was singled out, a recurring theme for the former Real Madrid player. On First Take, Kendrick Perkins didn’t mince his words in front of a stunned Stephen A. Smith:

Luka Doncic heavily criticized after Lakers’ elimination

Kendrick Perkins : Luka Doncic is the worst defensive star that we’ve seen in the modern era of basketball. Period

Stephen A. Smith : That’s very cruel. You could have found a nicer way to say that. You could have said he tries but struggles and he just needs to improve his skills. You didn’t have to be that cruel.

If even SAS says so, despite being one of the Slovenian’s biggest detractors… One thing’s for sure, Perkins’ comments didn’t go down well with many fans, and not just Lakers fans. Regularly pointed out for his haphazard analyses, the former pivot is also known to be particularly critical of white players. All of which led to the 2008 champion being targeted on X :

@BenTimofeyev : Kendrick Perkins is the worst analyst on tv. Period

@SpursAlien : Kendrick Perkins is the most racist sports commentator we’ve seen in the modern era of sports. Period.

@Sprts_Hub : Stephen A telling you that you’ve gone too far gotta tell you something lol

@GenX_nation : How is he still on the TV. I stopped watching years ago. Missed the days of some sports analysis not just click bait commentary

However, it has to be said that El Matador was not faultless in his own courthalf. Opponents’ 1-vs-1 percentages against him were certainly more than correct, but there were countless times when the n°77 was blowed by his opposite number, leaving the basket wide open. Add to this the absence of a certified rim protector in Los Angeles, and you have yourselves a lethal combination for the Californians.