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Doncic shines on defence at EuroBasket after Harrison cites Mavs concerns

Originally posted on HITC | By Bergas Agung | Last updated Sep 10, 2025 8:30 AM ET

Nico Harrison had a lot to consider before moving Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

There were reports linking the decision to concerns over Doncic’s conditioning and his performance on the defensive side of the ball.

Harrison reportedly saw Doncic’s fitness as a direct issue impacting his defence, shaping the move away from Dallas.

Nico Harrison’s comments on Luka Doncic and “defense wins Championships” could backfire

The Mavericks General Manager appeared to support this perspective when he stated “Defense wins championships” as the reason for moving Luka Doncic from Dallas.

Doncic’s defence and fitness also became talking points during last season’s playoffs, adding fuel to the fire.

But the summer has shown that Harrison’s assessment might have missed the mark completely.

Luka Dončić was nominated for best defensive player at the Eurobasket and is currently in the lead by votes.https://t.co/hcqB8uXk2A pic.twitter.com/sLFEzsMQ5k
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) September 9, 2025

So far, Doncic has proven critics wrong while also casting doubt over Nico Harrison’s comments back in June.

This summer, Luka looks sharper, noticeably leaner than in past years, and his performances at EuroBasket 2025 have been strong on both ends of the court.

He’s even been nominated for Best Defensive Player at EuroBasket 2025, currently leading the voting with over a week left in the tournament. The early signs are hard to ignore.

Luka Doncic tops EuroBasket steals leaderboard, maintains offensive form

Doncic has been strong on the defensive end all tournament and currently leads all players with 3.2 steals per game.

The level of play isn’t quite what he’ll face in the NBA, but the improvements are still clear as he prepares for next season.

Ironic https://t.co/Piig7kbEfb pic.twitter.com/A0xXbqEz5i
— MavsMuse (@MavsMuse) September 9, 2025

His progress isn’t limited to one side of the ball, either. Doncic remains just as effective offensively as ever.

He’s leading EuroBasket in scoring and recently put up 42 points against Italy to highlight his impact on both ends of the court.

Even though Los Angeles brought in Marcus Smart—another former Defensive Player of the Year—to strengthen their backcourt defense, Doncic is showing signs that he might be developing into a more complete two-way guard himself.

The way things are shaping up, Harrison’s comments about what Dallas was missing seem less accurate by the day.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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