"People are going to talk about it; I know I've got to do better" - Luka Doncic not impressed with his conditioning, plans to improve his physique
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks looks out of shape early in the season for the second straight year. After the Mavericks' 102-99 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Doncic responded to a report that he showed up at training camp weighing in at 260, which is 30 pounds heavier than his playing weight.
The 22-year-old superstar acknowledged that his conditioning is a current problem and is using the start of the season to get into shape. Doncic told the media that he's got to be better at maintaining his playing weight in the offseason. He also mentioned that he was too relaxed during a three-week vacation following the Olympics.
"People are going to talk about it, yes or no, but I know I've got to do better. I had a long summer. I think I relaxed a little bit, not taking care, but I've got to be better," Luka Doncic said.
Luka Doncic addressed the ongoing talk about his weight and conditioning with reporters after the Mavs loss to the Nets saying:
“I had a long summer. I had the Olympics, took three weeks off, relaxed a little bit. Maybe too much. I’ve just got to get back on track.” #MFFL https://t.co/1K9BsYvL3e
"I had the Olympics, took three weeks off, and I relaxed a little bit, maybe too much. I've just got to get back on track," Doncic added.
During an appearance on The Lowe Post podcast, it was Tim MacMahon of ESPN who mentioned that Luka Doncic came into the Dallas Mavericks' training camp at 260 pounds for the second year in a row. Doncic is off to a slow start this season, just like last year.
The Mavericks superstar's weight was also talked about during the game against the Nets by NBA on TNT analyst Reggie Miller. The Hall of Fame guard said that Luka was just "plodding" and not running up and down the court. Miller also noted that it's the heaviest he's seen Doncic and that the young guard has to "trim down."
Luka Doncic getting hampered by injuries to start the season
Luka Doncic is making an effort to improve his conditioning and cut weight, but injuries have slowed down his progress. Doncic has already missed four games this season due to various injuries. He missed three games earlier this season due to a sprained left ankle and left knee.
Doncic also missed a game against the Memphis Grizzlies last Monday because of a sore left ankle. He was even listed as questionable for the game versus the Brooklyn Nets due to a sprained left thumb. The Mavericks are now below .500 after their loss to the Nets and are 2-8 in their last 10 games.
Despite his conditioning and weight issues, Luka Doncic is having a good season overall. The Slovenian star is averaging 25.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game, but shooting just 44.4% from the field. He's also struggling from beyond the arc at 32.5% and the free throw line at 69.1%.
Luka Doncic with some Luka Magic to end the first half! 🔥 https://t.co/OaQm19DZaF
In the loss to the Nets, Doncic finished the game with 28 points, six rebounds and nine assists. It's amazing to see Luka put up great numbers even though he's not in the best shape. If he gets back to his playing weight, he'll surely be putting up much better numbers for the Mavericks.
The only problem for Dallas when Luka gets back into shape is, can they win games and make the playoffs? Doncic is in his fourth season and he's not made it past the first round. Even though he signed a rookie max extension this offseason with the Mavericks, people will start wondering if Doncic will stay in Dallas during his prime.