You can catch Luka Doncic smiling with officials in every game. That’s the peaceful gesture before the inevitable pressure. Doncic doesn’t leave referees alone, and recently made the money gesture against a no-call during a game against the Knicks. That was among the various incidents between the Slovenian and the referees. If you ask Paul Pierce, that part of Doncic’s game may be hurting him.

The Celtics legend feels referees are “tired” of Doncic always complaining. And he’s reached a point where even a minor reaction could attract trouble. “Sometimes you get to the no tolerance, like Draymond. It’s just like you know the refs are tired of Luka Doncic because it’s like after every play there’s some type of gesture,” Pierce made the comparison.

Luka Doncic was appropriately fined $50,000 for his in-game gestures against the referees. However, there’s also the technicals he receives or the regular arguments the six-time All-Star seems to have with the officials. At times, it reached sickening heights. Instead of getting back, Doncic could be on the opposite end of the floor arguing a call.

“It’s like if it was anybody else, not Luka at this point, it probably wouldn’t have happened. But since he’s just known to be a guy who constantly just on the refs, gestures, and all that, they are tired of it,” Pierce added.

As of late, Doncic seems to have gotten a grip on his bad habit. The Lakers have subsequently looked really engaged on both ends of the floor. However, the 27-year-old still needs to address his relationship with the refs. He needs to stop getting on their bad side, for his and the team’s sake. Luka Doncic is already the player averaging the most free throws. Hence, it’s not as if most calls aren’t rightly awarded.

That being said, the Slovenian is capable of doing much better when his focus shifts to transitioning back rather than complaining.

Luka Doncic is fixing the glaring flaw Paul Pierce felt held him back

For the past five years, Luka Doncic has been regarded as one of the best players on the planet. But most go to his offensive genius. He currently leads the league in scoring and can make any pass he desires. But defensively, teams look to attack Doncic at times. While Pierce feels Doncic could win an MVP, he feels he won’t be regarded as the best player.

“I don’t think that you can be the best player in the league without playing the opposite ends of the ball on both sides. Like, yeah, you’ll win an MVP, but I don’t think you’ll be considered the best player in the league,” said the Truth.

For the most part of this season, his concerns were visible. However, over the past few games, there’s a clear shift. Luka Doncic has recorded multiple steals in four of the Lakers’ last five games. Furthermore, he actually seems to be putting in an effort to use his size to intercept passing lanes and accept the challenge of face guarding his match-up.

It still needs to happen on a regular basis for the reputation to stick with Doncic. However, the Lakers star has shown pleasant signs of improvement on the other end of the floor. The Purple and Gold have gone on a three-game winning streak. Their defense has largely contributed to these results.

If Luka Doncic can maintain his involvement on both sides of the floor, those evaluating won’t have a choice but to acknowledge his two-way impact. It’s still early doors as far as Doncic showing he can do both. But he’s certainly trending in the right direction.

Do you think Luka Doncic can become a consistent defender in the NBA? Let us know your views in the comments below.