Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is widely regarded as one of the top NBA players, especially after a stellar 2023-24 season that saw him lead his team to the NBA Finals. However, not everyone is convinced of his supremacy. Michael Cooper, a Hall of Famer with five championships and a Defensive Player of the Year award from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, recently expressed a different opinion on his podcast.
During a “Start, Bench, Cut” segment, Cooper had to choose between Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard. Surprisingly, instead of starting Doncic, as most would, Cooper opted to start Lillard, bench Doncic, and cut Irving. Cooper’s reasoning for benching Doncic was his perceived lack of defensive effort, calling him “lazy” on defense despite his scoring ability. He acknowledged Doncic’s frequent triple-doubles but criticized his speed and hustle on defense.
Cooper explained that he values Lillard’s speed and athleticism, which is why he would start him, while cutting Irving because he saw similarities between Irving and Lillard. However, this take has been met with criticism, as many view Doncic as the obvious choice to start. Cooper’s co-host, for example, chose to start Doncic, bench Irving, and cut Lillard, based on their overall performances last season.
When comparing defensive metrics from the 2023-24 season, Doncic outperformed Lillard in several areas, including blocks, steals, defensive rating, and defensive win shares. Even when considering Irving, the defensive analytics still favored him over Lillard. Given these stats, many believe Cooper’s decision to start Lillard over Doncic is flawed, considering Doncic’s overall impact on both ends of the court.
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