“If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him!” – Hall of Famer Michael Cooper’s hot take on Mavericks Luka Doncic
Hall of Famer Michael Cooper sparks controversy with his opinion on Luka Doncic's defensive skills, calling him "lazy."
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Luka Doncic is not Michael Cooper's go-to player
Mavs superstar Luka Doncic has become one of the best players in the league. However, Hall of Famer Michael Cooper holds a different view. On his podcast, Cooper made bold statements about the Slovenian star while playing the “Start, Bench, Cut” game with Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Damian Lillard.
Cooper’s reasoning for benching Luka Doncic was his perceived lack of hustle on defense. However, the numbers tell a different story. When comparing Doncic and Lillard’s defensive statistics from the 2023-24 season, Doncic outperformed Lillard in every category, including blocks, steals, defensive rating, defensive win shares, and defensive box plus/minus.
On the latest episode of the Showtime Podcast with Michael Cooper, he said:
Luka gives you that triple-double almost any night, but he's too slow for me," Cooper stated. "If he wasn't a scorer, I would cut him. But he can score, you got to give the guy credit. To me, he is lazy, doesn't hustle back on defense.Michael Cooper said
Cooper’s co-host disagreed with his assessment, starting Doncic, benching Irving, and cutting Lillard. The data supports this decision, as Doncic and Irving outperformed Lillard on both offense and defense. His take has been widely criticized, with many calling it a “horrendous” opinion that doesn’t align with the facts.
Regardless, Doncic would be eager for the season to begin so he can prove his doubters wrong and take the Dallas Mavericks on another run to the NBA Finals alongside Uncle Drew and recent signing Klay Thompson.
Luka Doncic’s rare throwback photo reveals his humble beginnings
Luka Doncic’s mother, Mirjam Poterbin, recently shared a rare throwback picture of her son as a teenager. The photo features a young Doncic wearing a green Slovenian jersey posing with his mom.
The image was taken when Doncic was just 13 years old and was playing for Real Madrid. At the time, his mother was not only his biggest supporter but also his manager, using her experience as a beauty salon owner to guide his decision-making process.
The throwback picture is a heartwarming reminder of Doncic’s beginnings. Luka Doncic has since become one of the deadliest scorers in the league and is in pursuit of his first NBA championship.
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But do the numbers back up his claim?
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Ubong Archibong
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