Following a disappointing first-round performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic needed to head back to the drawing board.
Not in terms of play, but his body and staying in shape through a long 82-game season. Last season, the Slovenian struggled with lower-body injuries, specifically a calf issue and did not appear to be conditioned upon his arrival in L.A.
To Doncic’s credit, he played well enough to lead the Lakers to 50 wins and secure the third seed. Now that he has completely transformed his physique, it feels like the sky is the limit.
However, the 26-year-old needs to maintain his new body and not slip back into his old ways. But head coach JJ Redick believes his star is committed to his new lifestyle moving forward.
“I get the sense from talking to him all summer or spending time with him, not only just here, but at the Backstreet Boys,” Redick said. “This is his life, this is his routine, this is just a daily commitment to the new standard that he set for himself. His excitement level, not just in what he hopes the season will be, but his excitement level in embracing this new standard was very high.
“Every time I’ve talked to him, when I saw him in Vegas, you see him play in EuroBasket and he’s moving better, he’s defending. All the things that you saw at the end of last year where the layoff from the calf injury, whatever emotions he was going through post trade, it had an affect on him. So, again, it goes back to what I just said about LeBron. I expect the best version of Luka and it’s my job as a coach to bring that out on a daily basis.”
This is the kind of commitment the Lakers would want out of their new face of the franchise. At the end of the day, it is about winning championships and Doncic wants to get back to the NBA Finals.
If EuroBasket was an indication of what’s to come, the Lakers may find themselves well off in an even more competitive Western Conference. Every team will need an advantage this season and it does not get bigger than Doncic being in the best shape of his career.
Rob Pelinka praises Luka Doncic’s leadership & personality
Leading a franchise comes with pressure, and that is especially the case with the Lakers. But with Luka Doncic being a top-five talent, he is ready for those responsibilities and general manager Rob Pelinka is already impressed by his leadership and personality.
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