Los Angeles Lakers: Charles Barkley Slams Luka Doncic for Disappointing Play in Lakers' 4-1 Series Loss 2 Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a collision with Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers: 7-Time Champion Delivers Alarming 'Defense' Concern to Luka Doncic

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 9:23 AM ET

Former Los Angeles Lakers player Robert Horry believes that Luka Doncic’s on-court issues are not related to his weight but rather his commitment (or seemingly lack thereof) on the defensive side of the floor.

Horry implored Doncic to work on his defense this summer to become the best player he can be and take the Los Angeles Lakers to the next level.

“You can give someone 40 points, but if you’re giving up 35 on the other end, those 40 points don’t mean anything,” Horry said about Doncic via The Dan Patrick Show. “Because it’s about wanting to. You know, he’s never had to because he’s always had people behind him to erase his mistakes.”

Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Doncic Speaks Up About 'Heavily Wrapped' Elbow After Warriors Game 1 Apr 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) plays for the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“He getting blown by, you know, they’re getting layups. You know, if you watch stretches of games where Luka just stayed in front, because he’s a big body, the offensive players are bouncing off him. You just stay in front And I think that is the key. And I think also he needs to want to play defense, because so many times he saves his energy for the offensive end,” he concluded.

Los Angeles Lakers News: LeBron James raves about Luka Doncic during latest podcast episode

Luka Doncic recently joined the Mind the Game podcast, and the Los Angeles Lakers guard received massive praise from co-star LeBron James.

Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: LeBron James Will Make Crucial $52.6 Million Decision This Offseason, Per Latest Intel 1 Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) on the sidelines against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

“It’s always been his pace. It’s never been a game where it’s like ‘you can speed me up, he can speed me up, this bigger guy can be more physical, this smaller guy can get underneath me.’ And for us, we all working off of that, we’ve just got to stay ready,” James said about Doncic.

“We always have to keep our head on a swivel, because you just never know when the ball may find you. And that’s a good thing, that’s keeping the defense off balance and it’s a great thing to have that,” he added.