The Los Angeles Lakers’ defensive struggles became their defining story last season, ranking them 26th in the league. They hemorrhaged second-chance points, got burned in transition, and offered little resistance in the paint, making every game an uphill battle. Then a midseason trade for Anthony Davis brought Luka Dončić to Los Angeles. And the team’s defensive rating spiked during a 20 and 4 run. But it was not enough. LakeShow Life reported that Dončić’s “offseason transformation could be the key to improving one of Doncic’s biggest weaknesses, which is defense”.

Meanwhile Luka’s summer with Slovenia became a real time check on his health and mobility after a knee contusion on August 16. He was cleared on August 18 and suited up the next night against Great Britain in Ljubljana, which immediately shifted the conversation. Slovenia won 67 to 48 and Luka poured in 21 first half points with a perfect 10 of 10 at the line in 16 minutes, which set up the moment fans seized on.

LakersMuse took to X with a cut from that win headlined by “BLOCKED BY DONCIC!!!”. Highlighting a sequence that sent fans into a frenzy. It showed Luka not just competing on defense, but excelling. Cutting off passing lanes, using quick footwork to stay in front of his opponent, and even registering a block that ignited a fast break. The caption focused on his sustained effort. For a Lakers defense that was dead last in transition earlier this year, this clip wasn’t just a highlight; it was a potential blueprint.

LakeShow Life identified that the Lakers had “interior defense struggles in the first half” of the season. Noting they have a “big man problem” and “will need to desperately add a center this upcoming offseason”. The team’s defensive rating was 113.9, ranking 17th in the NBA as of February 2025. ESPN reported that the Lakers came into the season with “two weak one-on-one perimeter defenders as their starting guards in D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves”. The team had to “develop a defensive scheme to mitigate that vulnerability”. But watching Luka’s transformation, Lakers might have an answer to their struggles.

This improvement isn’t just about effort- it’s backed by a tangible physical transformation. Teammates like Aleksej Nikolic have noticed, stating Luka is “in a lot better shape”. Which makes defending him tougher in practice. Edo Muric added, “He’s faster and jumps more,” key attributes for a defender in Redick’s system, which relies on creating “the illusion of a crowded floor”.

For a team that rocketed from 20th to 1st in defensive efficiency after his arrival, even a modest defensive leap from Luka could make them truly elite. Yahoo Sports wrote that he “displayed incredible defensive effort” against Latvia, and noted “remarkable defensive awareness and positioning” with “quick footwork” and active hands, which tracked with this block in the posted video.

The timing of this emergence could not be better, solving what was once JJ Redick’s biggest headache. With the Lakers’ limited cap flexibility and thin frontcourt, internal improvement was always the only path to fixing their defense. Luka’s commitment to conditioning and defensive fundamentals might just be the unexpected solution they desperately needed.

A glimpse of hope: Fans react to Luka’s defensive spark

First reactions locked onto the possession to claim that the tape finally matches the talk, which set the tone for the thread. One user posted “Luka is playing some gooood defense” and pointed to the timing on the block as evidence, which echoed the offseason conditioning notes. Another added “Luka playing great defense so far in this game. It’s all about effort for him”. This referenced how the closeouts looked cleaner in Slovenia’s set defense, which is exactly the lift Los Angeles has wanted.

A second wave focused on speed and hips, not just the result. A reply read “His burst also looks much faster now” and connected that burst to the earlier reports about improved shape after the contusion scare, which tracks with the first step on that recovery. Then came the confidence line with “Luka is playing elite defense right now btw..” which fans framed against the team’s help first system that prizes early tags and quick digs.

The third cluster flagged how one stop can trigger the entire machine, which is the point of Redick’s approach. A comment led with “Luka – Defense to Offense”, and pointed to how a single wall up can start the break when the wings are ready to run. Which mirrors the best Lakers stretches. Continuing on his comment with “Great strip in the post, then jumps straight into the two-handed over-the-head, Touchdown Bullet pass all the way down the court”.

Could this be the end to JJ Redick’s headaches? Only time will tell. Until then, Luka’s Slovenian Campaign will do the talking.