On Thursday, Luka Doncic was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month after averaging 37.5 points, eight rebounds and 7.4 assists a game during that time. His outstanding play propelled the Los Angeles Lakers to a 15-2 record in March, and as a result, they have gone from sixth to third place in the West and are now one of the league’s hottest teams.
Doncic also averaged 2.3 steals a game in March, and his defense, which has long been seen as the weak link in his game, has improved this season. In fact, he was even nominated for the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month award.
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That award ultimately went to Victor Wembanyama, but it is a sign that Doncic has been addressing his biggest weakness.
Overall, the Lakers’ defense has improved of late. While they rank 20th in defensive rating on the season, they were a solid 10th in that category during March. Their transition defense has greatly improved, and they have also cut down on their turnovers.
Doncic may not win this season’s NBA MVP award, but he has made a bold statement to the rest of the league that he has become a new and improved version of himself.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic was nominated for surprising NBA award in March