There are few teams around the NBA that can present a good defensive matchup for Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, but the Golden State Warriors will enter Wednesday night’s season opener with an extraordinary challenge in trying to limit one of the league’s MVP candidates.
The Warriors were going to go to Yaxel Lendeborg as the option to guard Doncic during the second preseason matchup between the two teams, only for the Slovenian to be a late out from that contest. Golden State go back to that idea on Wednesday, but throwing Lendeborg at Doncic in his NBA debut is fraught with danger and a plan the Warriors should try to avoid for a multitude of reasons.
Warriors should avoid having Yaxel Lendeborg guard Luka Doncic
Lendeborg might actually be the best physical matchup the Warriors have for Doncic, allowing them to match size with size rather than go with smaller options like De’Anthony Melton or Gary Payton II. The 24-year-old’s lateral quickness has been a slight concern through summer league and preseason, but Doncic isn’t going to necessarily blow by him like smaller quicker guards could.
The issue is Doncic is an offensive wizard who gets you with smarts and footwork. Even the most experienced elite defenders in the league struggle to contain him, let alone a rookie in his debut game just trying to make his way.
The bigger concern might not be the matchup necessarily, but more so putting Lendeborg in situations where he could pick up fouls rather quickly. Doncic is one of the best foul-drawers in the league, and leaving Lendeborg on an island with him could spell trouble for the 6’9” forward and the team.
Lendeborg might be in his debut game, but he’s arguably the second most important player Golden State has with Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis on the sidelines. His importance offensively means they simply can’t afford to have him off the floor for long periods, meaning he can ill-afford to find himself in foul trouble.
Warriors have to throw different looks at Luka Doncic
The key for the Warriors might simply be to throw different looks at Doncic, both in terms of players guarding him and the coverages implemented by Frank Vogel. Not letting him find a rhythm and keeping him off the free-throw line is going to be crucial and Golden State’s best hope of limiting his influence.
It will nonetheless be fascinating to see whether the Warriors let Doncic get his from a scoring standpoint, or whether they relentlessly blitz and double team him, forcing his teammates to make plays from advantageous four-on-three situations.
Given the Warriors are without Butler, Porzingis, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody, their only hope of victory might be finding a way to limit Doncic and Austin Reeves, otherwise they may struggle to have the necessary firepower on the other end to compete.
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