Ex-Lakers Guard Gets Brutally Honest About Defending Luka Doncic

A three-time All-Defensive Team guard makes stunning admission about what it's like trying to guard Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.

Mar 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates his baskets against the Houston Rockets in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over the course of his eight seasons in the NBA, superstar guard Luka Doncic has caused a lot of problems in the league for even the best perimeter defenders, as it seems like he can score at will, which Los Angeles Lakers fans got a glimpse of last season.

Doncic is a matchup problem regardless of who is in front of him, and that’s why he’s arguably the best scorer in the NBA, coming off the second scoring title of his career, averaging 33.5 points per game during the 2025-26 campaign.

Pat Bev Admits Luka Doncic is Unguardable

During an appearance on the Unguarded podcast with Fred VanVleet of the Houston Rockets, former Lakers guard Patrick Beverley admits he had no answer for Doncic.

He was the only person in the NBA that I went home and was like:
"It's nothing I can do".

- Pat Bev says that Luka Dončić was the hardest player he has ever had to guard

YT/baskettingz pic.twitter.com/sLAK7MCoiw

— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) August 3, 2026

“He was the only person in the NBA that I went home and was like, ‘It's nothing I can do.’ I can't do nothing with him,” Beverley said of Doncic.

Beverley, who played for the Lakers during the 2022-23 NBA season and now plays overseas, was asked by VanVleet if Doncic is the hardest player he’s ever had to guard.

“Ever had to guard,” Beverley said. “And it wasn't even moves. It was, he knew exactly what to do. I'm not going to dribble in front of him. I'm not going to, it ain't muscle.”

At the prime of his career, Beverley was considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He earned All-NBA Defensive First Team honors once and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team twice, so he knows a thing or two about locking up some of the best guards in the game.

The former Lakers guard likely isn’t the only other player in the league who prides himself on the defensive end of the floor who has had trouble guarding Doncic, and likely won’t be the last, as an argument could be made that the Slovenian superstar is only just entering the prime of his NBA career.

Luka Doncic is Officially 100% Healthy

Unfortunately for Doncic, his first full season with the Lakers came to a disappointing end due to a hamstring injury. The talented scorer wasn’t able to return to the playoffs to help his team, which ultimately fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in four games in the second round.

Even though the 2025-26 campaign didn’t end the way he wanted, Doncic is now officially 100 percent healthy, which he let his fans know this week via email.

Doncic can now focus on getting back into game shape and ready for the 2026-27 NBA season, where he’ll be playing with a new-look squad under head coach JJ Redick after a massive roster overhaul to kick off the post-LeBron James era in Los Angeles.

Along with his hamstring fully healed, Doncic will host the revamped Lakers roster in his home country of Slovenia for a four-day minicamp in an effort to get to know his new teammates and create some much-needed chemistry ahead of next season.

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