The Deep 3 Podcast - "The Old Luka Doncic" Is Back | TD3 Clips

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

Luka Doncic is once again playing like an NBA MVP! #nba   Check out the TD3 merch: https://the-deep-3-shop.fourthwall.com/   Listen on Spotify!: https://open.spotify.com/show/3elbbqVumwqz8wlIdknsLW   Listen on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deep-3-podcast/id1657940794   Follow us on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedeepthree   Follow us on Instagram!: https://www.instagram.com/thedeep3podcast/   Isaac's twitter: https://twitter.com/byisaacg   Mo's twitter: https://twitter.com/Mojo99_   Donnavan's twitter: https://twitter.com/Dsmoot3D Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It is only right that we start today's conversation by talking about the one and only Luca Donchich. I don't know if you heard. The old Luca Donchich is back. The old Luke. The old Luca. How old is he? 27.

In the last 10 games, he is averaging 38.7 points on the 62.7% true shooting, shooting 58.6% from the two point line and 39.6% from three. He has been a fucking demon, capped off by a 60-point game as of late. He is going berserk, the three-point shot. is once again falling. And you know what happens when Luka Dantia's three-point shot falls. He looks like Michael Jordan.

He does not know how to stop making shots. He is incredible. You know what comes with that. MVP chatter. Best in the world agenda pushing. We're back. We're back in 2024. We're having convos led by gambling companies.

I want to take your money because he wants you to stooply bet on Luka Dantia's MVP odds. But we are here is Luka Dantzschis, one of the best players in the world to get to you. I mean, yeah, he got it.

Yeah. See, I'm asking you. As you have been the loudest hater. Well, I've been like, yeah, we can acknowledge he's not playing his best. The deep one shot at him falling. You've been like, fuck that shit. Proof to me you're top five players still. And he's proven it.

Shout, that's it. Oh, there he go. Round of applause. He's got it. He's proven he belongs in Donovan's top five. He's no longer an athlete Edwards conversation. Listen, first team, all NBA was getting scary. You locked it down.

You locked it down. Lucky some people got hurt. It's okay. But I think like this is, this is the version of Luca that everybody wanted, wanted to see. And from day one, not that I wanted to see. That fair. But from day one of the season to now. And I think the, my biggest gripe and part of the reason why I'm, why I've been so like, quote unquote, anti-Luca is just because at every time that he has scoring, uh, scoring stretches like this. It's like, oh, he's, he's the MVP. He should have won three MVP's by now. Yeah. But he, he wasn't

he's the best in the world. It's like, okay, cool. And we go through loals every single year where you have stretches where he's playing subpar of his standards. And we know that the Luca can can get to these places. And it has felt like at certain times that this is also just not true. By the way, this picture. This is not true? No, he was not that big. That's not an edited picture. You're lying. That's the real picture. You are lying. No, that's the real picture. I'm sure. I don't think that's edited. Yeah, I don't think so either. Oh, my.

Okay. I saw, okay. Yeah, for for context, there's a, there's a picture on the screen right now, a tweet that's showing Luca in his, in his, in his Laker debut, and then Luca now. I thought that this was very clearly, like, edited to make him look bigger than he was. It's a bad angle. It's a bad angle. He doesn't always look like, the neck isn't always that big. It's just a low shot.

The camera, the camera guys on the ground. So, like, it's a terribly unflattering angle. But I know it's real. The chest size, the arm flubbiness. This is real. That he made this type of glow up. You know what? Yo, Luca, you are locked in.

You have the second best player in the world right now. This is insane. He was saying all this hate and shit trying to preface it by, oh, you know, he has these moments. He was trying to really get some more hate off. He sees the transformation. He's like, you know what? Salutes. You've been working.

You've been grinding. And that's what I feel. You know what's the phrase now. We've been hard on Luca all year. And not even we as like us. personally you have because you're a fucking laker hater obviously but the NBA world has been hard on luka this year because that's the territory that you get when you are one of the best players in the world and when you are a laker when you combine those two things you get immense

criticism because you're expected to play the best version of yourself as you enter your peak years and he wasn't doing that early in the year which is fair though it is perfect that's fair and I think my my yeah my issue was that when when luka wasn't playing well like there was a lot of conversation about, well, the roster construction just isn't good enough. And DeAndre, and it's like, okay, yes, like that's also true. You also just have to play better. Sure. And so, and so, like, that was my biggest regard was that. I felt like there was a lot of pushback of saying, all like everything else and a lot of like excuse making. Him playing like this right now does so many things for one, him himself and the perception of like Nucadansches. And then two,

obviously we've talked all day and for the last, you know, a couple weeks about the Lakers impending title chances and how they keep getting bigger and bigger. And this also allows you to really set it in stone of like, Reeves your two, Bron your three. Yeah. And so to your point, yes, they're, Luca fans are intense. Luca has one of the most diehard fan bases that happens with essentially any international player in the NBA.

They have a whole market, a whole country behind them. Luca fans are especially intense because they've been following him since he was a young kid. He's a very paris social fan base that rides and dies with their guys. will defend him to high hell. We won't let you say a single thing. If you say he's a fourth best player in the world, that means you're saying Lucas is a bum to me. And they're intense,

and obviously people like you can't stand it. I get it. On the other hand, the roster stuff was true. The roster's coming together better. LeBron's playing better. He mentioned that DeAndre Aidan is being consistently high effort. Everything's kind of coming together around him.

And when we're talking about Lucas struggling early in the year, it's the most first world problems ever. He's the best struggling player in the world. Struggling for him is playing the fourth or fifth best player in the world. being slightly less efficient than you want, having slightly less defensive value than you want, but still giving you 32 and 8 on every night basis. We got to kind of contextualize that.

We treated him like we treat the Lakers like they're horrible when they're just good, not great. And now he's back to being great. So it was never undeserved criticism because that's what you get when you're the best player in the world candidate. But it is important, not to lose sight, that he has been great this whole time.

It was never a conversation of him being second team all NBA. That was always ridiculous garbage to consider Jaylen, Browner, Kid Cunningham above him. He was still the fifth best player in the world, and now he's playing like the second or third, or maybe even one. The, the, okay, I agree.

The Jalen Brown stuff, way, who gave you? The Kade thing I actually do. Kane is a 55% true shooting. It was bullshit from the jump. I respect it more than the Jaylam Brown thing. Luca was still so much better. Cade had a much better argument should be first team all NBA over Luca than Jalen Brown.

The Jalen Brown stuff should have never been brought up. Either way, Luca still, I think, should have been, even if he didn't turn up, he still should have been first team on the, NBA level and it's just important to realize the convo's talking about that that's a big difference between barely first team and potentially MVP candidate but it's not quite the gulf that some people treated it fair you know why because to me whenever we had those convos are in the year I said the one thing I mentioned I tried to pay credence to the criticism and say okay he needs to be a little bit

more bought in defensively to say the least he has been doing that as of late he needs to have more of a focus on playmaking and not gunning it because he feels like the team around him isn't good enough so he has to score a bigillion points. He's been doing that. But also, it really did come down to the three-point shot falling or not. In December, he had a treacherously terrible three-point shooting stretch where he was shooting like 30% on nine attempts a game. You're never

going to look pretty when you're shooting that many threes and breaking that many. Now that he's shooting 40%, which is the other opposite end of the spectrum, maybe he's unsustainable to some degree. Now he looks like God. And a lot of times the players like this of this high-volume score, it really is as simple as like, is the three falling or not. Yeah. I've always said the criticism

with Luca, what's never really about the defense or the other stuff because none of the criticism this year was new. It's been stuff that we've been talking about for years. So for me, the only difference was that his offense wasn't compensating enough for his defense. As much as people wanted it to, with the turnover problems, the not even foul baiting, just the complaining for the free throws, the three-point shot not falling. But now that it's up, man, Luca could have been playing bad defense his whole time. And no one would have said anything about it for, for.

And he's playing pretty good defense now. Now, Luca fans, like I said, are very peris social, very crazy. They find, like, one reporter will put out an article where they have like a very niche advanced analytic. Like when you have on screen right now, 95th percentile and shots contested, 87th percentile on rim contest. They'll find these very niche stats and be like, oh, see, two-way demon. He's elite.

He's amazing defensively. Fuck Shea. This is the real two-way. Great offensive player that can play defense. And they do a lot with that. They carry a little too far. He hasn't been an elite defender or anything. But he has been much better.

That's noticeable. And that plays a big part of this. buy-in for this era where they're really turning around late season goes along the lines with lebron james turning it up as a third option goes along the lines of john jaden turning it up saying i'm not that guy i got to do more small guy stuff all that is happening at the same time and like allowing these improvements to really pile up make everybody look better good for him good good for him it's like also the the the complaining was ridiculous it was it was it was at a at at at The vibes weren't good.

At like some of the highest levels that we've seen from Luca. And so when you aren't, it's everything that it's saying of like, yeah, when you're playing 40% or when you're shooting 40% from 3 and you're scoring 60, you can go slap a ref and nobody would care. Like, like your fans are going to be fine with it. Yeah. But if your 3 is not, it's not falling and every time you hit the floor, then it's like you're looking for a call, then that that is annoying. And so at that point, like, nothing was clicking. everything is clicking for for luca and the lakers and they are they're legit and so i i think i i i so badly want to see a full year of of obviously not this is crazy if you do a whole year

of this you legitimately have like you know you're actually michael jordan yeah you're actually one of like these scoring seasons of all time and i would like to see i hope we can see it at at a certain point. And it's just funny how he's one of those players now that has one of like the calendar graphics of every single part of the calendar has a very specific timeline. And every year follows that timeline. Oh, I go as far as to say he's the calendar athlete of all time. That this far in his career, he has the most recognizable calendar patterns.

Come into the year, play yourself into shape usually. This year he came into more shape. But, you know, most of his career, come in a little tubby from enjoying your summer overseas, got to play yourself into shape, have a good stretch. December, January comes around, three-point shot goes cold because it's a long season. We say, ah, fuck,

this Luca Donch's lead team is back in the playing range, back in the 60, whatever. Turn it up come March, come playoff time. You don't want to see Luca. He's playing back to best player in the world caliber.

That cycle is probably more consistent than any star I can ever remember besides Russell Westbrook in the other direction. Yeah. It's also going to be super interesting because I, listen, first round playoff loss

with, oh my goodness. Here he goes again. Fuck off. It would be, it would be cinema. It would be. Right? It would be cinema.

One battle after another, sinners, it's up there for best picture of the year. If the Lakers, if the Lakers lose in the first round. No, if Ant beats him again? You know,

it's cinema. Who would they face her now? Would it be Minnesota? Today, you know, it's fluctuating a lot because of the standings are so tight. I think it would be Minnesota. Today, there are three,

yes, Minnesota's in six. See, now last year, I thought that they were going to wipe Minnesota. I thought that they would beat the wolves in the first round. So, yeah, let's get into that combo now. Obviously, he's back to playing, like, one of the best players in the world and getting that recognition. He's playing better along the margins and being like Luca of old, right?

People want to take that to say MVP convoy? He's turning up when it matters most. Hibbop. MVP convos been dead. Shea is going to win it. I guarantee it unless he gets hurt. Don't waste any breath or agenda pushing to try to see Luke is the MVP. You're just not going to have a good time.

The race has been over. She's having, he's a 66.7% true shooting on a 32 points per game. he's having one of those seasons, he's not going to lose it. But the other end of that, when you have the MVP, usually that comes with title favorites, or at least saying, I have the best player in any series. You can push that type of agenda with Luca right now. You can say that he's back to being one of those guys

that you can say because he's here, and if a supporting cast is healthy, it can be flawed as long as it's healthy and whole and they have the chemistry. When you have a player that's good, you can be anybody in the playoffs. Those are the convos that I can kind of respect now. If you want to say he's that level of player again,

that despite the weaknesses they might have, compared to the Timberwolves, despite the weaknesses they might have compared to the Nuggets, or even the Spurs. If you want to say you feel like Lucas playing at the level that you can feel good about them having a chance to win that series, I can rock with you a little bit. So right now, what are your expectations in a playoff run? I'm just happy to be here. I'm just happy the team is clicking.

My expectations, I'm a dumer. I immediately go to. Fuck, if only they traded for Andrew Wiggins, then I could really feel good about this team because they're one wing short. So I'm a little bit like, oh, what could have been? Second round? They should win a first round series. They should beat Minnesota.

Okay. They should beat the Rockets. If somehow the Nuggets fall to six, they can beat the Nuggets. We've seen that since they acquired Luca. They match up much better now. Not to say that's a guarantee because I very much respect the Nuggets with Aaron Gordon, but they can beat those teams. Do I think they can beat the Spurs?

Sure. If Luca's going complete God mode, we get one of those vintage series, and J.J. Reddick gets really deep in his bag, doing his style of leaving open shooters open and really, really capitalizing on those young guards, not being able to shoot threes well enough and all this swing stuff goes the Lakers way, sure, maybe they can beat the Spurs

and get at the conference finals. I don't think they have a chance of being the Thunder, and I probably wouldn't pick them over the Celtics because we know how good Joe Missoula is at game playing for Luca. But if you tell me, we look up and we have one of those type of historical runs

and Luca just carries a team that maybe isn't good enough to a finals we don't expect, I won't be entirely shocked. Yeah. You just wanted it on record. Yeah. Yeah, like as a Lakers fan,

I'll allow myself that hope to, like, say that can happen, Crazier things have happened. Like we see teams that shouldn't be there get there all the time that Pacers just got there. The Lakers could be this year's version of that. That's super possible.

But if the playoffs started today, I would not be picking them over the Thunder in a series. Yeah, I also want to see, and I'm not going to use it to, like, say that he's bad. I do want to see a full playoff run

from Austin Reeves, though. Like, I don't, like, the conversations of people, like, you know, he can't do it in the playoffs. I'm not going to go that far yet. If it doesn't happen Again, then I'll probably be on your side. Yeah.

But I, like, Austin Reef has descended every single year to being better and better and better. And we keep elevating him in the standings of, you know, the NBA players of our rankings. I want to see him have a solid playoff run from top to bottom. Yeah, pull this back up again. In March, he, in this stretch, we're talking about with Luca, where he's at 36.8 points for game, 62% true shooting. Being a dynamite score, right? LeBron's not a 19 points for game. being the true third option, being highly efficient again.

Austin Reeves, 21. Still good efficiency, not otherworldly like it was early in the season. That's kind of what I expect. There's only so many shots to go around. And the early season stretch he had where he was averaging fucking 28 without LeBron James there was great. And I do think he's capable of being a high volume, one of the more effective offensive players in the league as a league guard.

Like if he swapped him and Devin Booker, I do think, I still do truly believe Austin Reeves can do just as much as Devin Booker can on that Sun's team. But I do want people to realize that this is. a deep team with the highest volume score in the league and an extremely qualified third option that's going to give you 20 and Aidan who requires some touches still there's going to be some nights where Austin Rees just doesn't have a lot of opportunities for a lot of points and on those off nights where maybe he's not even an off night maybe he missed a couple shots but

he only had eight opportunities people are going to be like oh you see J. McDaniels are too athletic he can't do anything about it there's when you have so many cooks in the kitchen there's going to be a natural variance there that I'm kind of ready for mentally it is weird though because though, just because we're having the conversation of, like, LeBron is bought into, like, this third option. And obviously, it's not, like, a very, like, strict and linear, like, first option gets 20 shots. Second option gets 10. Loki is, though. You know, like, but.

With Luca, Loki is. But it's, but it's also Braun as a third option. So, like, you know that there's moments in those games where he can also have, like, not play, like, your typical third option. You know, like, like, like, Braun as your third option is not the same as, like, Mikhail Bridges or, like, or, or, like, games that is your third option you know like well those are fourth or fifth options but that's not it's not it's not it's not going to be like that um and so i i do think that like i can understand that that point for rees but there are there will be if you do think that like it is slotted like that especially with the volume that lucas i the like i i want

also reeds to empty the clip and i i would i just think that there that there will be moments for him to to get his game off and i and i and i want i just want to want to see that. Yeah, yeah, I agree. I think there will be those moments and there will be moments where he has to play backseat and he missed some shots and he has a stinker relative. So be prepared for both. And that's going to be the nature of anybody that plays next to Luca, I think. I remember finals, Kyrie. It's going to happen when you don't have a great rhythm there, you know, like, and great defenses. That's also part of it. I'm not putting that on Luca or I'm not putting that on the offensive hierarchy. I'm putting that on Kyrie. Sure, but so yes, true. And

yes, Kyrie shot like shit. it's easy to shoot like shit when you're the second option against elite defenses next to Luke Dodshish where the rhythm might not always be there is real easy to shoot like shit even when you're winning

the most gifted scores of all time and you're playing elite defenses in every round we're talking about the thunder that brother was fighting demons that I think yeah I think Hyrie's a weird conversation sure sure whoever you want

like there's a lot of reasons that like you can expect some awesome rear stinkers is all I'm saying that I'm not going to necessarily make a grand proclamation by it but like people should have the expectation set that like he's going to have bad nights yeah

Luca fouled out in the playoffs and they were like, Kyrie saved us and he was like, nah, bro. I'm gonna do my own thing. You saw Luca got his 16 tech and got a suspension that they rescinded. And he got his 16 tech because,

granted, he very much didn't want to get it. He knew he shouldn't get it. He tried to be his best and not argue too much with officials. But then, go go to batazadez day at the fritho line, got a little altercation with him. And they,

heapped a little bit and both got double techs. that was rescinded, because he says, Goga said at the Frito line, he will fuck my whole family. And at some point, I just can't stand it. I got to stand up for myself. Goga said that, Luca said that about my mother, and I just responded with the same energy,

and I went up to. And all this shit talking happened in Slovenian, by the way. So the rest couldn't tell what's going on. Shout to Luca, man. I'm happy he got his, he got his tech rescinded. You happy he stood up to Gogo Patase? Yeah.

Have to. That's crazy to say. Ridiculous. At first, I thought like... Do you believe Goga that Lucas said it first? Yes. Okay. In that case, it's not that ridiculous.

No, but it's... If we believe Goga, then what Goga said is not crazy. If he just went up to him, like, because Luke started it. I didn't think anybody... I'm just imagining the exchange of conversation. And he goes, oh, yeah, well, I'm going to do it to your whole family. Whoa. Like, come on.

man you open the cat of worms yeah that's you know chill

if Lucas started it I don't know if I believe that Lucas started it I don't know if he would

react that way if he had started it because I think he would understand ah fuck he said

the same thing so maybe I don't quite believe Goka but it is just

like like bro we're hooping like you're like we're we're hooping like

and I understand where NBA players, we're playing basketball at the highest level there is in the world that's going to get competitive but why is that coming out of your mouth right now? My grandma? Oh, come on.

My aunts? It's like, bro, you hit my hand you filed me and now my whole family. My whole lineage is like, come on. You know what probably happened? He probably just called him a motherfucker and go go.

Yeah. Oh, that means he's saying fuck my mother. Oh, kiss on your whole family. I bet Luca just called my motherfucker. I bet that's all he said. You motherfucker, well, bring that grandma here.

Since you want to talk. That might be one of the most dieboggling that you've ever said. I'm just talking from Goku's frustration. He said, bring that grandmother here. It's nasty. Hey, but they were sending to the tech. Lucas back playing as a piss and nights.

And Gogu lives to talk shit in other days. Let's go. He's back. He's back.