NBA Hall of Famer: Luka Doncic is “slow and lazy”

Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper gave a scathing critique of Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic on his podcast, 'Showtime with Coop'. Doncic is viewed as one of the best players in the NBA, but Cooper doesn’t like his approach to the game. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

Michael Cooper was playing a classic opinion game where he had to pick who he would start, bench and cut between Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving. Even though he didn’t cut Doncic, he had some choice words for his perceived lack of effort on defense.

“Luka gives you that triple-double about almost every night, but he’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy. Doesn’t hustle back on defense.”

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It’s one thing to criticize the skills of certain NBA players, pointing out their limitations when it comes to their ability to play the game. However, Cooper elected to call out Doncic’s desire on one end of the floor, which is generally something that resonates a little deeper with players and fans.

It’s possible that Michael Cooper felt the need to passionately call out Doncic’s lack of defensive chops because of his own background in the NBA. Cooper was one of the best defenders in the NBA in the 1980s.

Cooper won NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 1986-1987 season, and was an eight-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive Team. Seeing a lack of effort on defense might irk him more than many other observers.

There are a lot of NBA players who aren’t as athletic as their counterparts, which makes the idea of Doncic’s slow-moving agility a little more forgivable. But accusing a player of not trying hard enough is something Cooper must have thought about before saying on his podcast.

The fact of the matter is, Luka Doncic and defense aren’t often spoken about in the same sentence, unless it involves speaking about him as a liability on that end. SB Nation wrote in June about his “terrible defense as an anchor weighing down” the Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

During the NBA Finals, the Dallas News flipped the narrative on its head, saying that Doncic’s best defense was his offense. While he has the ability to perform at an offensive clip that exceedingly few can ever match, his futility on defense may sometimes bring down the great work he does on the other side of the court.

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Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd offered an honest assessment of Doncic’s defensive performance in the NBA Finals. Mass Live’s website quoted Kidd as saying, “Yeah, he’s definitely got a bullseye on his chest. He’s got to be able to guard and understand that we’re there to protect him and help him if he does get beat.”

Kidd also said that about the Celtics offensive attack, “They’re putting him in every pick-and-roll and iso. He’s got to be able to play the game where he can rest on offense and let others carry the load.”

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has often mentioned Doncic’s conditioning over the years, and said that it doesn’t seem like it’s up to par for a superstar of his caliber. “I’d like to introduce him to a couple salads and maybe some sparkling water and some fruit,” Simmons said on his podcast.

In 2021, TNT analyst and NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller called Doncic out for “plodding up and down the court,” suggesting that he needed to “trim down.” Doncic responded to Sports Illustrated that year by saying, “I had a long summer. I had the Olympics, took three weeks off and I relaxed a little bit. Maybe too much. I’ve just got to get back on track.”

In April 2023, Miller once again called out Doncic’s fitness. According to the New York Post, Miller said, “Luka’s got to get in better shape. They’ve got to run more… Jason Kidd wants them to play faster, but when Luka’s in there, they can’t play fast. To me, if he’s in better shape… that puts more pressure on the opposing team.”

This isn’t the first time Michael Cooper has made critical comments about a current NBA star. In October 2023, he blasted LeBron James after eating on the bench during a preseason game. “Have respect for the game,” Cooper advised James, according to USA Today.

Cooper was selected for election into the Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2024, and former teammate Magic Johnson had some high praise. He told ABC 7’s website, “Coop is the greatest defensive player I’ve ever seen in the NBA- and I would know because I went up against him every single day in practice!”

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