"He's an absolute stud" - Ex-Mavericks counters Luka Doncic criticism as doubts swirl over Lakers star's playoff potential

LA Lakers star Luka Doncic has always been subject to criticism, especially his performance on the defensive end. With his new team, there's a level of concern from fans and critics about how he'll perform during the postseason. However, former NBA player Chandler Parsons countered the negative talk about Doncic.

Parsons has a strong belief in Doncic and his ability to have a positive impact on the Lakers. On Monday's episode of FanDuel TV's "Run It Back," the former basketball player talked about what the Slovenian star is capable of doing in a playoff scene.

"Luka Doncic led the Mavs to the NBA Finals nine months ago," Parsons said. "So, if we're talking about playoffs, I don't think we're concerned about Luka showing up or being impactful in the playoffs. He's an absolute stud. He's elite."

Last year, Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals, averaging 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists throughout 22 postseason games. In the finals against the Boston Celtics, he averaged 29.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.6 apg and 2.6 steals.

Doncic will be playing for the Lakers in the postseason this season. The 6-foot-6 guard will also play with LeBron James, another top player. The five-time All-Star's performance following the regular season can benefit from James' extensive postseason experience.

Insider suggests Luka Doncic's play in the NBA Finals is the reason he was traded

Luka Doncic has been a reliable star player for any team he plays for. Whether it's during the regular season or the playoffs, he has excelled and given his team something to cheer for. However, NBA insider Marc J. Spears suggested that the star player's performance with the Mavericks during the Finals was the reason he was traded.

"That dude (Jaylen Brown), he is the reason why Luka got traded. He shut him down in the finals," Spears said on "The Cedric Maxwell" podcast. "What he did to Luka in the finals, shutting him down, guarding him full court, making it unbearable offensively, led Dallas to start questioning Luka as the leader of the team and questioning whether he was in shape or not."

The only aspect of Doncic's game where he underperformed in the finals was his outside shooting. He averaged 24.4% of his attempts from deep. Other than that, the European star was a problem for the Celtics during their five-game series.