Former DPOY Gary Payton highlights why Luka Doncic likely won’t get better defensively: "Maybe that's not for him"

Former Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton highlighted why Lakers star Luka Doncic might not improve defensively.

Payton was in Mumbai for the BUDX NBA House event, which starts on Saturday, and spoke to the media about the basketball culture in India, the evolution of the NBA, and why defense is essential, among other topics.

Payton hailed the OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers, crediting them for having five players who can defend at all times, which was instrumental in their journey to the NBA Finals.

After Payton emphasized why players should be able to guard without help, Sportskeeda's Arhaan Raje asked "The Glove" what advice he would give a player of Doncic's caliber on the defensive end.

AR: You mentioned that defense is critical to winning. What advice would you have for Luka Doncic? He's a solid defender in the post, but he's not versatile and struggles on the perimeter.

Gary Payton:

"You have to be dedicated to playing defense. Maybe that's not for him. He's a scorer, he can do it (if he wants to). I tell every kid that I go and do camps with. I say it's a mindset to play defense. Not just, you want to play defense. You can't do that.

"You need to have great hands and feet to do that. You've got to be able to move, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and do things. And that's just the way it goes. I don't think Luka is a defensive player. I think he's a scorer. But now, if he wants to, yeah, he can get his mind into it to do it. But does he want to do it? That's up to him. That's not up to us.

"You know, he's an athlete, he's got great ability. Now, does he want to go and change it and prove people wrong that he can't play defense? If that was me, I'd change it. I would say, 'Yeah, I'll go out here and try to defend somebody and I’ll try to get in shape and do the things that I need to do and I'm gonna do that.’”

Luka Doncic has made strides on that end of the floor, but consistency is an issue. He's often hunted by the opposing team's offensive players and brought into action because of his lack of resistance on the perimeter.

However, as Payton mentioned, Doncic is known for his scoring and may not have the tools to become a defensive player. Nevertheless, Payton believes that if Doncic can improve if he puts his mind to it.

The Slovenian's critics often point to his conditioning and blame it for his lack of lateral quickness on the perimeter, leading to a higher blow-by rate when he's at the point of attack.

Like any other player with limitations, Doncic naturally struggles on teams that aren't good defensively as a unit. The Lakers this past season are an example of that. With no true center and point of attack defender, it became easy for opposing players to attack Doncic, highlighting his defensive issues.

If maximized for his strengths as a post defender against bigger players, Doncic will likely have a far greater impact on the game on that end of the floor.