Dallas Mavericks: Can Luka Doncic be a good defender?

The narrative surrounding Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic is that he will be a defensive sieve. His preseason play paints a different picture.

When the Dallas Mavericks decided to trade up for the Slovenian wunderkind, Luka Doncic, in the 2018 NBA Draft, it was for his offensive potential, not his defense. Much has been made of Doncic’s lack of athleticism which if we’re being precise is mostly just a lack of lateral quickness and this deficiency was thought by many pundits to secure Doncic’s place as a liability on the defensive end.

Fans have read plenty of things about how the athletes in the NBA would consistently blow by him. Detractors pointed to a leaked video of Dennis Smith Jr. exploding passed Doncic for a dunk in practice. They said Doncic’s athleticism would make him a bust.

There were a few things people overlooked when projecting Doncic’s transition to the NBA as a defender.

1. Team game

The NBA is a team game. So much more goes into it than me vs. you, it’s us vs. them. NBA offenses are complex and things like ball-movement, pick-and-roll, and spacing have been embraced by every team in the league.

For this reason, knowing when to switch on defense, knowing when to rotate, staying engaged when your man doesn’t have the ball, and general effort levels are immensely important to a player’s defense.

Isolations are becoming less common and they rarely are run by players who are not one of the team’s top scoring options. These are the types of plays that would attack Doncic and his slower feet the most.

Doncic is a rarity when it comes to basketball IQ for a rookie. He understands how the game works and picks up on schemes very quickly. He has demonstrated throughout the preseason that he understands rotations and good team defense. And most importantly, he always gives exceptional effort.

2. Doncic guards wings and bigs, not speedy guards.

Many people heard Doncic was a guard and a major red flag went off in their brains. How could this guy possibly stay in front of the Russell Westbrook’s of the world? Well, he that is not the case.

I was thrilled when Carlisle mentioned on draft night that we would see Doncic at power forward because that is exactly the best way to use him on defense. He’s a bigger guy (6-8, 210 lbs) than many think and absolutely has the size to guard the position. He has the ability to hold his own as a rebounder too.

Playing defense on slower players will allow Doncic to draw more upon his strength rather than his quickness. This will put him in a much better position to succeed.

3. Doncic has tremendous instincts.

Dirk Nowitzki has made a living out of his swipe at the ball right when a player is about to go up with it move. He uses his understanding of the game and his fast hands to rack up steals and blocks. Nowitzki had physical limitations for a good portion of his career but has largely been a solid defender. I think Doncic will be no different.

He’s not overly bouncy, quick, or long, yet he has recorded five blocks, six steals, and tons of deflections in his four games in a Mavericks uniform. He has that basketball sixth sense, like Nowitzki, that allows him to predict when players are going to expose the ball or make a pass before it happens.

Veteran Jason Kidd had this down to a tee. He was an excellent defender for the Mavericks even during the twilight of his career when his athleticism had left him. Now Kidd is an all-time great defender and Doncic was never that, but the idea that you can still make an impact on defense without great speed holds true.

Because of these three reasons, I truly believe that Doncic can and will be a solid defender in the NBA. It may not happen in year one (rookies are rarely positives on that end of the floor), but Doncic should be just fine on that end.