06-26-2023, 02:24 PM
(06-26-2023, 02:07 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: Still think that the best version of Luka is a part of the solution when it comes to big wing defense. He is never going to be quick enough to stay in front of smaller players but in small sample sizes he has shown the ability to defend SF/PFs and even some bigs.
Mavs obviously need another big wing but I wonder if they can get away with someone like Thybull (6'5, 7'0 wingspan) if Luka steps up on defense.
I don't see that happening. While Luka has shown flashes of decent defense in the past, defense is hard work and Luka already exerts a ton of energy on the offensive end. I don't think he'll ever been in good enough shape to play his current minutes and give you maximum effort on both ends of the floor. You'd need to convince him to play less minutes, not worry about his stats, and have a well-rounded enough team that could be productive in non-Luka minutes. Now Kyrie should be able to offset some of the shot creation responsibilities so maybe that will allow Luka to be more engaged on defense.