Luka Doncic was slammed for his conditioning and work ethic by the Mavericks and he’s intent on not making the same mistakes again. After his trade to the Lakers this month, Luka is reportedly finding extra motivation to put in some more time at the gym.
“The integration has been a lot around his leadership and also working through the most significant injury of his NBA career, the one and a half months he missed with a calf strain,” said Charania on NBA Countdown.
“Talking to people in that Lakers organization, they’ve been impressed with how he’s been able to learn about his teammates on the fly. They feel he’s very LeBron James-esque in the way he’s really tried to get to know his teammates, he wants to make them better. I know what everyone is saying about his work ethic but he has been putting daily work on the court and in the weight room. Even to the point where he went to Cabo over All-Star break and he worked with Scott Brooks every single day while he was there. The Lakers found him a facility to work out in and he did that.”
The Mavericks shocked the NBA world when they traded Luka Doncic out of the blue and even Luka himself was completely stunned by the turn of events. Things got downright weird when the Mavericks blamed his conditioning and implied that he was a poor fit for their culture.
There’s obvious tension from both sides but with the season still actively underway, Doncic needs to channel his anger toward his opponents on the court instead of letting the moment become a distraction from the bigger picture.
Over the past few games, it’s clear that Luka has struggled to fit in with his new team and he’s looked lost out there at times. But he answered the call tonight against the Nuggets and continues to look more comfortable with every passing day.
The key to Luka’s long-term success in Los Angeles is leaving his old habits behind. If he’s to lead the Lakers for the next 10+ years, he needs to stay in shape and keep his body in peak condition.
Already, Doncic is showing some early signs of improvement. Instead of spending All-Star completely basketball-free, he got the Lakers to find him a gym so he could work out and train every single day.
Between reports of Doncic pushing 300 pounds and people within the Mavericks’ organization being scared of him, some Lakers fans have doubts that he’s ready for his type of pressure but, at the very least, he’s doing his part to show that he has changed for the better.
With averages of 26.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game this season, Doncic was already dominating opponents on the court. Now, thanks to a massive chip on his shoulder and a heightened work ethic alongside LeBron James, Doncic is poised for a crazy revenge arc.
At 5th in the West (33-21), this is great news for the Lakers and it may be enough to make a deep playoff run in the West. If not, Rob Pelinka will work overtime to build the best team possible this summer and ensure that Doncic is set up for success in the 2025-26 campaign and beyond.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
