In a surprising critique, Jay Williams recently questioned Luka Doncic’s ability to lead a team to victory, citing Luka's "losing habits." Yet, this assessment seems to overlook some significant achievements in Doncic's career. Notably, he guided the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals less than two years ago, a feat that speaks volumes about his leadership and skill.
Williams pointed to Doncic's turnovers, noting that Luka leads the NBA with 4.1 giveaways per game. However, this isn't new territory for Doncic. He had a similar turnover rate during the 2023-24 season when he almost carried the Mavericks to the pinnacle of NBA success.
The critique continued with Williams highlighting Luka's offensive impact, placing him last among players with a usage rate over 30 percent. Yet, this statistic ties Doncic with Kawhi Leonard, who has been in top form since Thanksgiving. So, the metric might not tell the whole story.
Williams did touch on a valid point regarding Luka's tendency to argue with referees. It's an area where improvement is needed.
Despite these criticisms, Williams's overall argument seems to disregard Luka's playoff history. Doncic has already shown his leadership by taking the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and then to the NBA Finals in 2024, all while being just 23 years old and working with a solid, though not exceptional, roster.
It's true that Luka has faced challenges since joining the Lakers, including struggles with team chemistry alongside LeBron James and issues with fitness and defense. These are areas for growth, no doubt.
However, questioning Doncic's leadership and ability to win ignores his substantial accomplishments. He's proven his capacity to lead teams deep into the playoffs.
While this season might not be his breakthrough with the Lakers, dismissing his potential overlooks the impressive success he's already achieved. Luka Doncic is far from a "losing player," and history suggests he will find his way back to winning ways soon enough.