"Hall of fame ball hog" - NBA analyst highlights Luka Doncic's major flaw contributing to Lakers’ 3-game losing skid

People are suddenly concerned about the LA Lakers after their slump, and fingers are being pointed at Luka Doncic. The Lakers have not only lost three straight, but they've dropped seven of their last 10. As a result, they have fallen to the fourth spot in the West.

One NBA analyst thinks that a huge proponent for this string of struggles is Doncic. Chris Broussard said on "First Things First," following LA's 118-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday, that the Slovenian superstar spent too much time with the ball in his hands.

In fact, he passionately stated that Doncic held the ball too long.

"Luka Doncic is a ball hog," Broussard said. "A great ball hog. A Hall-of-Fame ball hog, future hall-of-famer. An all-time elite ball hog. He's a ball hog!"

Broussard then referred to the Magic-Lakers game as an example. He said that there were moments in the game where his teammates simply stood around to watch him.

Against Orlando, Doncic scored a team-high 32 points. However, it also came with an inefficient 9-for-23 shooting clip, which included 4-for-10 from the 3-point line. He was also responsible for three of the team's 11 turnovers.

He finished the game with a usage rate of 37.6%. The second-highest is LeBron James at 28.5%.

This stat line for Doncic was not exclusive to the Magic game either. Against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, he scored a team-high 34 points. Although he had a more efficient shooting night (10-for-18), he was also responsible for seven turnovers.

The "ball hog" criticisms regarding Luka Doncic aren't new. He was branded with the same unsavory title when he was running the show for the Dallas Mavericks.

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Kendrick Perkins zeroes in on Luka Doncic's defensive effort amidst the Lakers' losing streak

The LA Lakers' slump has several analysts pointing toward their defense. Some believe their recent string of losses is because their opponents simply score at will against them.

Kendrick Perkins took this a step further on "NBA Today" on Tuesday by singling out Luka Doncic for his effort on defense.

"The defensive effort that Luka has been putting forth has to be called out," Perkins said. "He has to do better defensively, he has to bring that energy like he does on the offensive side of things. He cannot be a liability because teams are gonna search him out."

The Lakers will face some high-powered offenses in the season's final stretch. They still have to take on the OKC Thunder, the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Indiana Pacers, the Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Bulls, who already beat them once by a landslide.

If their defense isn't up to the task, LA could fall further in the standings. With the playoff race so close in the West, a few losses could send the Lakers to the Play-In Tournament instead of enjoying a guaranteed postseason berth.