Fact or Fiction: The Lakers can build a champion around Luka Dončić's defense
The idea of the Lakers building a title team around Luka Dončić’s defense sounds counterintuitive on its face. Dončić is one of the league’s most gifted offensive engines, a heliocentric creator whose value is rooted in shot-making, playmaking, and late-game control. Defense has never been the selling point of his superstardom.
So the question really becomes: can a franchise like the Lakers construct a championship roster that covers his defensive shortcomings while fully weaponizing his offense?
History suggests it’s possible in theory. Teams have won at the highest level with one or two targetable defenders on the floor, provided the surrounding cast is elite, connected, and versatile. The modern NBA prioritizes offensive creation and spacing, then asks coaching staffs to scheme around weak links with switching, zone looks, and selective matchups.
Dončić is not an all-defense candidate, but he is not a turnstile either. He has size, strength, and rebounding instincts, which give coaches something to work with in specific schemes. The challenge for the Lakers would be building a roster that insulates him without sacrificing the spacing and secondary creation he needs offensively.
That likely means surrounding him with rangy wings who can guard up and down the lineup, a mobile big who can both protect the rim and survive in space, and a guard or two who can defend at the point of attack. It also requires organizational discipline: drafting, developing, and retaining defense-first role players instead of chasing purely offensive names.
The league-wide context matters. Offenses are more efficient than ever, and playoff series often hinge on which star can consistently create in the half court. In that environment, Dončić’s offensive gravity is a championship-level foundation. His defense simply cannot be the cornerstone.
Verdict: fiction in the literal sense. You do not build a champion “around” Luka Dončić’s defense. But you can absolutely build a champion around his offense, provided the Lakers commit fully to a defensive ecosystem that minimizes his weaknesses and maximizes his strengths.
So the question really becomes: can a franchise like the Lakers construct a championship roster that covers his defensive shortcomings while fully weaponizing his offense?
History suggests it’s possible in theory. Teams have won at the highest level with one or two targetable defenders on the floor, provided the surrounding cast is elite, connected, and versatile. The modern NBA prioritizes offensive creation and spacing, then asks coaching staffs to scheme around weak links with switching, zone looks, and selective matchups.
Dončić is not an all-defense candidate, but he is not a turnstile either. He has size, strength, and rebounding instincts, which give coaches something to work with in specific schemes. The challenge for the Lakers would be building a roster that insulates him without sacrificing the spacing and secondary creation he needs offensively.
That likely means surrounding him with rangy wings who can guard up and down the lineup, a mobile big who can both protect the rim and survive in space, and a guard or two who can defend at the point of attack. It also requires organizational discipline: drafting, developing, and retaining defense-first role players instead of chasing purely offensive names.
The league-wide context matters. Offenses are more efficient than ever, and playoff series often hinge on which star can consistently create in the half court. In that environment, Dončić’s offensive gravity is a championship-level foundation. His defense simply cannot be the cornerstone.
Verdict: fiction in the literal sense. You do not build a champion “around” Luka Dončić’s defense. But you can absolutely build a champion around his offense, provided the Lakers commit fully to a defensive ecosystem that minimizes his weaknesses and maximizes his strengths.
