Luka Doncic has been a problem during these playoffs. He has averaged 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and a playoff-high 8.8 assists, all while playing with a bad knee.
What makes his feat even more impressive is that he has faced a flurry of the league’s best defenders, who have been throwing the kitchen sink at him. The Wolves tried every coverage and he destroyed them all.
One of those coverages is a big mistake, according to LeBron James. This is how I would defend Luka if I were training against him.
Tips from LeBron James to defend Luka Doncic
Don’t bomb Luka Doncic
LeBron gave his opinion on the best way to defend Doncic during his Mind the Game podcast. The number one piece of advice he gave was to avoid bombing it.
Blitzing is a ball screen coverage that involves sending a double team towards Luka. The Wolves used him frequently in the conference finals. As LeBron predicted, it didn’t work out well at all.
“I don’t understand it, especially with the shooting going on around him. It doesn’t make sense,” LeBron told his co-host JJ Redick. “He’s going to do all the readings.”
The Wolves’ decision to bomb Luka was not novel. He was by far the most bombed player in the league, because teams would do anything to get the ball out of his hands. The Lakers also tried to blitz Luka earlier in the year, much to LeBron’s chagrin. “Dante Exum made five or six 3-pointers,” he said.
The Celtics could end up following LeBron’s advice. They are one of the rarer blitz teams, relying on their players to quickly fight off screens and recover.
So if bombing is not the answer, what is then?
Mix toppings
The key to stopping Luka is to prevent him from knowing what is coming.
“You have to mix coverages. How you double and when you double,” Redick said. LeBron agreed with this philosophy and the two laid out details on how to change things.
One approach they both emphasized was that when sending two defenders to Luka, it is vital to change the location and timing of double teams.
“Is it in the dribble, is it in the reception?” LeBron asked. “Is it coming from the baseline or from the [middle of the floor]”Redick added.
Avoiding blitzing comes with its own problems. The other coverages don’t work as well either, as Redick pointed out.
“Atlanta decided not to attack Doncic because they were worried about the consequences and he was 73 [points]”Redick said.
Change
The best way to protect Doncic is probably to change all the screens. But that largely depends on having teammates of the same size who are able to change.
“There are certain teams that can put lineups with a lot of changes,” Redick said. “You need staff and you have to be able to trust certain people.”
This makes the Celtics a great defense to face Doncic. Everyone in his starting lineup except Kristaps Porzingis can switch effectively, limiting the combination of blockers Doncic can use. And if the Mavericks try to get Porzingis to trade Doncic, the Celtics can combat that to some extent by making an early trade.
Al Horford is also taking too long to switch to Luka, but he has had limited success in those matchups during the regular season. Doncic shot just 3 of 10 against Horford, by NBA tracking data.
Drop
The Celtics will also mix up a lot of defense against Luka, positioning Horford and Porzingis closer to the basket. That hasn’t been a great option against Luka, because he’s vulnerable to the 3-pointers and mid-range attempts that he and Kyrie Irving excel at. But it’s the coverage the team’s centers are most comfortable with, and they had the second-ranked defense in the league in using a lot of it during the regular season.
At the end of the day, Luka is going to beat every coverage that comes his way. But he will defeat some of them more easily than others.
“What are we willing to give up, rather than what are we willing to stop?” LeBron asked Redick. “You can’t stop the big guys. Just wait for them to fail and take your hat off.”
The Celtics may have to live with Horford and Porzingis trying to stay ahead of Doncic from time to time, and they may also have to accept Doncic making the same tough jumpers he’s made throughout these playoffs. . He has made every center he has faced look like Bambi. That’s still better than any alternative.
