Max Kellerman thinks Luka Doncic’s complaints to referees aren’t just frustration - they’re a tactic.
On a recent episode of his Game Over podcast, the Ringer host said the Lakers star uses those moments to avoid getting back on defense. Kellerman argued the pattern is obvious and tied it directly to Doncic’s reputation on that end of the floor.
“On defense, do you know why Luka Doncic complains to the refs on every offensive possession?” Kellerman began.
“It’s very obvious. Because if you’re complaining to the refs, you don’t have to run back down the floor on defense.
And that’s the No. 1 reason he’s a bad defensive player. It’s No.
- Beyond not moving his feet or everything.
“No. 1 is it’s five-on-four on the other end of the floor because he thinks he’s being slick, complaining as though everyone can’t see,” Kellerman continued. “No, you’re just being lazy. Get up and run your a** back on defense.”
The comments came shortly after rookie Yaxel Lendeborg took aim at Doncic’s constant griping following the Golden State Warriors’ 127-105 loss to the Lakers on Thursday. Lendeborg said he had lost all respect for the Slovenian because of the way he carries on with officials.
Kellerman has been critical of Doncic before, previously calling the six-time All-Star one of the worst defenders in the NBA and saying those issues have slowed his growth as a player.
Even so, Kellerman was clear about Doncic’s offensive brilliance. The pushback, in his view, is about whether that kind of brilliance can carry all the way to a title.
“Again, he’s a basketball genius,” Kellerman said. “I’m not denying how great an offensive player he is.
But to win a championship, as I mentioned, it’s the accumulation of small things throughout the course of a season that brings a team together, in addition to outperforming and outexecuting in the end. I mean that stuff feeds into outperforming and outexecuting other teams in the end.”
ESPN’s Michael Wilbon has raised similar doubts, saying Doncic does not play any defense and questioning whether he can lead a team to a championship. Olden Polynice also took the criticism further, calling Doncic a high school defender.
Still, the idea that Doncic is completely helpless on that end feels overblown. He can have rough stretches, sure, but he also remains one of the NBA’s top five players and continues to tilt games in plenty of ways. In the Lakers’ blowout of the Warriors, he put up 28 points on 7-18 shooting, along with eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
The Lakers rolled in that one, but they still aren’t being treated like true title threats. The source of that skepticism, though, isn’t just Doncic’s defense. It’s the bigger picture around him.
Los Angeles has useful pieces, but it doesn’t stack up with the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Western Conference powers that look stronger on paper. If the Lakers fall short against those teams in the years ahead, the source of the problem may be roster quality, not whether Doncic is sprinting back after arguing with a referee.
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