Ex-NBA COTY Bluntly Pinpoints Major Flaw in Lakers Trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James & Austin Reaves When Stacked Against Steph Curry

LA Lakers star Luka Doncic is one of the best players when he has the ball. Doncic is like a magician when he's handling the rock, and it has left a lasting impression on fans. However, not everyone believes his style of always having the ball is effective.

Former coach Sam Mitchell criticized Doncic on how he doesn't create anything without the basketball. The 2007 Coach of the Year ripped the Slovenian star on his Friday appearance at SiriusXM NBA Radio. Mitchell also had the same thoughts on the European sensation's co-stars, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.

"Luka Dončić cannot play basketball without the ball," Mitchell said. "He doesn’t cut, he doesn’t move, he doesn’t set screens. He’s great with the ball, but he does nothing to make his teammates better when he doesn’t have the ball. “The problem with the Lakers is, Austin Reaves and LeBron James are the same way. They gotta have the ball,” he continued.

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Interestingly, he brought up Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. Mitchell contrasted Doncic's lack of the ball with Curry's ability to play without it.

"The reason we give Steph Curry so much credit is not because he’s a traditional great point guard. He averages about four and a half to five assists per game for his career. Steph Curry does the hard things."

Both Doncic and Curry are threats from the 3-point line -- with the latter being a bigger threat. However, the five-time All-Star is the primary facilitator for the teams he's played for. When he was with the Dallas Mavericks, he played the same way.

Doncic's play remains consistent even when he's suiting up for the Slovenian national basketball team.

The big difference between the two stars is that Curry has Draymond Green. The point-forward has served as one of Golden State's top playmakers, giving the former Davidson star free reign to run without the ball.

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Luka Doncic took responsibility for the Lakers' loss to the Rockets

The LA Lakers couldn't handle the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day and suffered a 119-96 blowout loss. Houston outplayed LA in almost every facet of the game. They outscored, outrebounded and outhustled the Luka Doncic-led team.

Following the contest, the five-time All-NBA took the blame.

“Everyone has to give better effort, starting with me,” Doncic said via Dan Woike on X.

Doncic led the team with 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists. While he tried his best on defense with one steal and two blocks, his errors couldn't be ignored. He had six turnovers against the Rockets, which was the most for the Lakers.

The team is looking to snap their three-game skid on Sunday, against the Sacramento Kings.

Edited by Reign Amurao