"Lot of elements were missing"- NBA legend James Worthy criticizes and questions Lakers' Luka Doncic trade
NBA legend James Worthy criticizes and questions Lakers' Luka Doncic trade (Image Source: Getty)
The Los Angeles Lakers had high hopes after trading for Luka Doncic, but their season ended in disappointment while they struggled for a bit. For Lakers' legend, James Worthy believes he team never built strong chemistry, especially with Doncic.
He also said missing out on center Mark Williams was a big mistake, as the Lakers lacked a strong player in the middle.
James Worthy analyzes the current NBA trends
James Worthy was speaking on Spectrum SportsNet, where he discussed various different aspects relating to the Los Angeles Lakers, that also included Lakers' player Luka Doncic, addressing the issues faced, and how the team didn't create the space for the player. He also spoke about how it was the weakness that hurt them in the playoffs.
Worthy further also pointed out that modern teams need skilled big men who can shoot, defend, and move well—like Jokic, Gobert, and Bam Adebayo. He believes not having a solid center made it harder for the Lakers to succeed. Worthy said:
'When we did not get Mark Williams in that trade,
I knew we could be successful throughout the regular season
, But as you know, and as we've seen, once you get locked into a seven-game series — look at what happened to Cleveland — things change.
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A lot of teams that are favored don't always pull through. I still don't think the synergy was ever fully there with Luka.
A lot of elements were missing.'
While the Los Angeles Lakers kept LeBron James and Anthony Davis together until they traded for Luka Doncic. But the trio lacked chemistry, which hurt them in the playoffs. They also failed to sign center Mark Williams, leaving a big gap in their defense.
Worthy explains:
'
The bigs
went away for a while, until they revolutionized themselves,
Now you've got Jokic and other centers shooting threes. Brook Lopez was almost out of the league before he learned to shoot from deep
.
So, yes, the center position is huge now—especially defensively. Look at what Minnesota has done with Gobert. Not a major scorer, but a dominant rim protector.
It's guys like Bam [Adebayo], [Jarrett] Allen, [Evan] Mobley
—athletic bigs who can run the floor and protect the paint.'
Also Read:
NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Might Chase $76,487,996 Washington Wizards Superstar To Bolster Squad Around Luka Doncic And LeBron James
Basketball legend James Worthy, or popularly known as 'Big Game James,' has been associated all his life with the Los Angeles Lakers, so for him, having to speak up on issues addressing the team, has had a very nuanced approach.
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