‘Skinny’ Luka Doncic’s Dominance at EuroBasket 2025 Leads Slovenia to Knockout Stage

Their leading superstar naturally was the best player on the floor, with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and a block. With that win, he and his teammates can rest easy after securing a spot in the Round of 16.

Luka Doncic leads EuroBasket in 3 stats

Luka Doncic knows that his team is not as good as Serbia or Germany. That is why he leads them as their playmaker, scorer, and, what has surprised many, one of their best defenders.

The Los Angeles Lakers star has been smart on defense, using his length, awareness, and his now improved athleticism to prey on lackadaisical passes and stop players as a help defender.

Clips are doing the rounds of him elevating to block a floater, something that should excite Los Angeles Lakers fans. All of this has helped Doncic top EuroBasket in points, assists, steals, and efficiency.

If this is to continue, and somehow Slovenia continues to play well in the knockout stages, there is a chance Luka Doncic adds the EuroBasket MVP to his list of accolades.

Even if he does not, his scoring, playmaking, and defense should have NBA fans wondering if he is about to torch the league next season. These past few months have given him enough motivation to destroy his critics.

Luka Doncic shedding ‘does not play defense’ tag

One of the major criticisms analysts had against Luka Doncic was that he would slack off on defense. There were examples of it during the 2024 NBA Finals, and it possibly contributed to the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade him away.

Once he became part of the Los Angeles Lakers, his former teammate and now head coach, JJ Redick, challenged him to play defense as a way to respond to those criticisms.

The Slovenian did, and it was instrumental in helping the Lakers finally figure out how to defeat their Kryptonite, the Denver Nuggets. Despite all that, there were concerns that his defense did not translate into the playoffs.

At EuroBasket 2025, it seems he has taken those criticisms to heart as he currently leads all players, irrespective of position, in blocks and steals. Doncic has 3 blocks to his name along with a tournament-leading 13 steals.

Combined, that makes him the tournament’s best defensive player so far. If he continues with this level of effort in the NBA, Lakers fans might crown their new king soon.