When Luka Dončić took the floor on Feb. 10 for his return from injury, the Los Angeles Lakers’ fanbase felt a rush of excitement. After missing six weeks of action due to his calf injury, Dončić took the court with his new team for the very first time alongside All-Star teammate LeBron James.
After six and a half seasons as the No. 1 option in Dallas, Dončić found himself traded, coming as a shock to him and the rest of the league. Once the trade for Anthony Davis was completed, Lakers media and fans raved about their new potential star and face of the franchise.
However, Dončić returning from his injury forced him to be on a minutes restriction, per coach JJ Redick, as he eased into his new role next to James. His first performance saw him put up 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 36% shooting from the field, not the best debut, despite the victory.
Emmanuel Acho Criticizes Luka Dončić’s Effort
In the two games since he returned from injury, Dončić has struggled despite the Lakers going 1-1. Dončić’s most recent performance before the All-Star break drew some criticism as he looked uninspired defensively and finished with 16 points, four assists, four rebounds on 46% from the field to go along with a ghastly five turnovers and a paltry 20% from the free-throw line.
On “The Facility” on FS1, Emmanuel Acho was very critical of Dončić’s effort and focus, highlighting the generally mediocre performance from the Lakers against the Utah Jazz before keying in specifically on Dončić.
“Now there’s an issue: the defense,” Acho said. “They have their second-worst defensive performance in the second game that Luka showed up. That’s an issue because everybody said, ‘Hey, watch out, Luka’s a defensive liability.'”
Emmanuel Acho ripping into Luka Doncic on @TheFacilityFS1 pic.twitter.com/nf8PqhLNwD
— Showtime Luka (@showtimeluka) February 13, 2025
That defensive effort was indeed one of the Lakers’ worst performances of the year, as they put up their seventh-worst performance in terms of opponent field-goal percentage and their fifth-worst performance in points-in-the-paint differential. Acho continued to dig into the root of the issue.
“Is it coincidence, is it causation, or is there a correlation that the second Luka shows up, the Lakers have their second-worst defensive performance of the season? The Utah Jazz have their fourth-highest offensive output of the season the second Luka shows up. Luka, he’s a lazy defender, that’s what they told me at the desk, that’s what you told me at home, and you were right.”
Acho continued, though, digging further into both Dončić and the Lakers.
“How do you get five fouls in 2.5 quarters? And lazy fouls. These weren’t like effort fouls These weren’t tenacious fouls. They were lazy fouls. They told me, ‘Hey, sometimes Luka can be lackadaisical with the ball.’ That’s what he was doing, sloppy turnovers. So everything that the people, the brilliant minds at this desk, told me to worry about, everything that you at home told me to worry about, it all came up.”
However, Acho conceded that there was still a lot of season left but didn’t let up on his wariness, saying, “It’s a February loss. Normally, I wouldn’t worry about February losses, but the lack of a big was an issue. The defense — it was an issue. Luka being lazy — it was an issue. Every issue that y’all said, ‘Hey, Acho, be mindful of,’ it showed its ugly face.”
Will Dončić Play Better After All-Star Break?
With the tricky nature of calf injuries, it is hard to know how healthy Dončić currently is. If he was rushed back too soon, that could prove detrimental to the Lakers’ plans this season. The hope is that Dončić remains healthy and available for the rest of the season, and the Lakers will take every measure to ensure that.
If Dončić shows inspired play after the break, the Lakers will be at full strength. If his effort and focus don’t improve, that will raise more concern for the Lakers going forward. To be fair, it has only been two games, so Donĉić might need a few more weeks to adjust and adapt to the new playbook and group of players. Time will tell what this season’s story looks like for the Lakers.
