Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick sent out a not-so-subtle message to his players following their playoff elimination to the Minnesota Timberwolves in May. At an end-of-season press conference, Redick said the team needs to “get in championship shape” if it wants to win a title.
Star guard Luka Dončić apparently heard that message loud and clear. Dončić has reportedly dropped “significant weight” as he focuses on his conditioning ahead of his second season with the Lakers, per Dan Woike of The Athletic.
“Dončić has been incredibly committed to his conditioning this offseason. 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.”
That should come as welcome news to Lakers fans. If there’s a complaint about Dončić’s game, it revolves around his conditioning. That was reportedly one of the reasons the Dallas Mavericks were willing to trade Dončić to the Lakers.
While those issues haven’t prevented Dončić from reaching an elite level of performance on the court, some have wondered whether the superstar could reach an even higher level if he were in better shape.
Dončić has put up fantastic numbers since the Atlanta Hawks selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Dončić was quickly traded to the Mavericks, where he won the Rookie of the Year award. In seven seasons in the NBA, Dončić is averaging 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists. He’s a five-time All-Star who has finished in the top-8 of MVP voting five times.
If Dončić’s conditioning played a role in the Lakers’ premature playoff exit, he didn’t show it on the court. After putting up similar numbers in the regular season, Dončić upped his game in the playoffs. In five games, he scored 30.2 points. He also played a playoff-leading 41.6 minutes per game. That total was elevated after Redick opted to play his starters for the entire second half during a Game 4 loss to the Timberwolves.
When Redick initially made the comment about the team getting “in championship shape,” many interpreted it as veiled criticism toward Dončić. By all accounts, Dončić has responded to it well.
While it’s tough to imagine the star guard being even better next season, a highly-motivated version of Dončić entering the season in the best shape of his life would present a number of problems to a league that already struggles to stop him.
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