As the Los Angeles Lakers start to turn their attention toward the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season, superstar Luka Doncic has been keeping busy by participating in the EuroBasket tournament, where he is representing his native Slovenia. Earlier this week, Doncic eviscerated Italy to the tune of 42 points to help Slovenia advance, overcoming an injury he suffered earlier in the game in the process.
On Tuesday, Doncic was nominated for the best defender award at EuroBasket, alongside fellow NBA players Goga Bitadze and Isaac Bonga.
Defense of course has been a point of concern for Doncic throughout his career and was blamed as the main culprit for why Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison inexplicably traded him to the Lakers in early February.
Doncic didn't exactly prove Harrison wrong about his defense during his time with the Lakers last year, but it seems that at least during the EuroBasket tournament, he has dedicated himself to being a more impactful player on that end of the floor.
A potentially huge development for the Lakers
If Doncic can be even an average, let alone good, defender this year, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a lot better than some pundits are predicting.
The backcourt of Doncic and Austin Reaves was predictably a turnstile for the Minnesota Timberwolves during last year's NBA playoffs, in which Minnesota eliminated Los Angeles in the first round.
As a result, the Lakers went out and signed former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart on the buyout market this offseason, who figures to be the team's best perimeter if he is able to stay healthy (which is a big if at this stage of his career).
However, if Doncic truly has turned himself into a passable defender against NBA competition, it could eliminate any reservations that head coach JJ Redick may have about starting him and Reaves alongside one another, especially now that LeBron James takes the majority of possessions off on that end of the floor.
In any case, the Lakers are slated to kick off their 2025-26 season with a home game against the divisional rival Golden State Warriors on October 21.
