It’s the narrative that seemingly won’t go away: Luka Doncic is fat, he’s out of shape, he’s lazy and he lacks motivation. Some of it, to be fair, has been true, and it manifested itself late in games and on the defensive end as the Los Angeles Lakers got knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in five games by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But there have been signs ever since that playoff defeat that Doncic is turning the page when it comes to his health and fitness. During a public appearance a few weeks ago, he looked noticeably slimmer, and it gave people some real hope that perhaps he is changing his ways.
According to Lakers beat writer Dan Woike, the generational superstar is taking his fitness seriously this offseason.
Via The Athletic:
“Two, Dončić has been incredibly committed to his conditioning this offseason,” Woike wrote. “He’s dropped significant weight and is working on strict diet and cardio training, according to a source with knowledge of the plan. In a shift from his normal offseason, he spent a month away from on-court work to focus more on his body. Dončić has looked visibly slimmer in photos and is now back working out with Slovenia readying for EuroBasket competition later this summer.”
A slimmer and fitter Doncic will be a better and enhanced Doncic. He seemed to fade late in games at times and had some noticeable trouble staying in front of his man defensively, but dropping weight and getting in better shape should help both issues.
As great as Doncic has been in his seven NBA seasons — and he has already had a Hall of Fame-worthy career — he could still have lots of room for improvement. Other than his defensive shortcomings, he hasn’t always been a great percentage shooter, and he has never shot as high as 79% from the free throw line for an entire season.
If he keeps ingraining a long-term dedication to his fitness and conditioning, perhaps what the world has seen from Doncic so far in the pros has ultimately only been the tip of the iceberg.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Dončić ‘has been incredibly committed to his conditioning’
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
