Skip Bayless explains why Mavericks were right to trade Luka Doncic as Lakers struggle in LeBron James' absence

Skip Bayless watched Luka Doncic and the LA Lakers lose 126-106 to the Milwaukee Bucks without LeBron James on Thursday. The Slovenian kept the Lakers in the first half with 29 points and finished the game with 45. With too many key players out, Doncic and Austin Reaves failed to keep up with the home team in the second half.

After the game, the veteran sports journalist went on his podcast to explain why the Mavericks were right to trade the perennial MVP contender.

“Here’s the problem with Luka; back to my point about why Dallas traded Luka. He is a high-volume, poor 3-point shooter," he said (7:02 mark). "Over time, you can’t win with that. Once the Dallas Mavericks got past Minnesota and made it to the finals last year, they got shot in the foot by Luka!”

The Fox Sports analyst pointed out that Doncic shot 32.0% from behind the arc entering the showdown with the Bucks. He admitted that the superstar caught fire but told his viewers not to “bank” on Doncic’s consistency. According to Bayless, Doncic is in the top 5 in the NBA in 3-point attempts but one of the worst in efficiency.

Skip Bayless added that without LeBron James, who sets the tone for the Lakers’ defense, Luka Doncic could not lead the team. The outspoken sports talk show host claims the JJ Redick-coached team can’t follow a superstar who doesn’t play defense at a high level.

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Skip Bayless claims inability to stay in shape was one of the reasons the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic

Skip Bayless added to his list of reasons why the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.

“Luka Doncic just gets his pocket picked like crazy," he said (9:08). "He has a hard time getting the ball up the floor. He just looks slow tonight [and] he’s never in great shape, another reason the Mavericks said, ‘We just don’t trust him over time.’ When he does get hurt, pulls a calf, he’s gonna be gone for a long time.”

Luka Doncic has always been hounded by rumors of going out of shape, particularly after coming from the offseason. The Dallas Mavericks never criticized the superstar point guard publicly if that had become an issue. Still, they traded the 26-year-old to the LA Lakers to contend for the championship.

According to Skip Bayless, the verdict about who won the Lakers-Mavs trade will have to wait until Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and injured Dallas players return healthy. The Undisputed host claims the Mavericks are better constructed to win the championship in the next few seasons after trading Doncic.