Analyst Believes Luka Doncic’s Lakers Statue Will Depict his Antics Against Refs

Luka Doncic's production has not helped his Los Angeles Lakers consistently win games despite starting the season hot.

Analyst Believes Luka Doncic’s Lakers Statue Will Depict his Antics Against Refs

Luka Doncic is known to constantly ask officials for fouls (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Max Kellerman criticized Luka Doncic for excessive complaining to referees during games.
  • Raymond Felton expressed concerns about Doncic's lack of defensive effort and winning mentality.
  • Doncic risks missing end-of-season awards if he does not play in at least 65 games due to injury concerns.

When the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue to immortalize the great Pat Riley, everyone expected the likes of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the rest of the team to beat their perennial rivals, the Boston Celtics.

It was a home game, and Riley himself had rallied the Lakers to do what they should be doing to their bitter rivals: win a game convincingly. However, even though the Godfather was seated courtside, he could not believe the team he once made the most dominant franchise in the league huffed and puffed to an embarrassing 22-point loss.

You know what Luka Doncic’s statue, if he ever gets one outside of Crypto, is going to be? This is the Luka statue, with his arms outside, like this. Every trip down the floor, you’re complaining to the refs?

Max Kellerman said on the Game Over Podcast

The former First Take analyst felt that the Slovenian has become something akin to cry baby after every single play. That is not how Pat Riley got his statue, which is why Luka Doncic should learn from the 80-year-old’s past how to win games.

Max Kellerman felt that his complaining had gone so far that it had become annoying and ineffective, as his Los Angeles Lakers do not benefit from it and are constantly losing games they should have won. The guard scored 25 points in their loss to the Boston Celtics, but more importantly, only took six attempts from the free throw line, and finished with a -21, the worst +/- of the game.

Former NBA star does not believe Luka Doncic plays winning basketball

Max Kellerman’s complaint regarding Luka Doncic was that the Lakers superstar’s constant complaining was not helping his team. Another former player, Raymond Felton, criticized other aspects of the guard’s game.

Luka Doncic's antics have started to bother critics
Luka Doncic’s antics have started to bother critics (Image via Keith Birmingham/X)

We know you are not a great defender, but at least give us something… (He) is not a winner… The way Luka plays don’t amount to wins.

Raymond Felton said on To the Baha

The former Charlotte Bobcats star was not the first to call out the soon-to-be 27-year-old’s lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball. It has almost become a constant area of concern, and many believe it will impede the franchise in the postseason.

But Felton also took shots at Doncic’s game. He recalled how, during the Dallas Mavericks’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals, it was mostly Kyrie Irving‘s game-altering shots that helped them reach the pinnacle.

When his podcast colleagues pointed out the moment of magic in the Western Finals against the Wolves, Felton reiterated that other than those lone instances, it was the rest of the team that led the Mavs to the NBA Finals. It seems he is not convinced the Lakers can win with Doncic.

Luka Doncic could miss out on end-of-season awards

Luka Doncic‘s play might find a few critics, but there is no doubt that his otherworldly production is why the Los Angeles Lakers are still in a playoff spot.

That has seen him become a constant in the MVP race, and he could keep climbing if he gives a bit more effort to rebounding. But that could change if he misses a few more games. The NBA’s 65-game rule came into effect to discourage load management. At the same time, it can penalize players who are struggling with injuries.

If Doncic misses five more games, he could join teammate LeBron James as superstars who will be ineligible for end-of-season awards. For someone who has seen his name come up for those quite regularly, this could be a major blow to his resume.

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