With his latest feature in Men’s Health magazine, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has drawn league-wide attention for his offseason conditioning. However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith remains skeptical about this transformation, as he recently expressed his thoughts on “First Take“.
Smith looked unimpressed when asked about how worried teams should be upon seeing Doncic’s new physique. He replied:
“No. Not any more scared than they already are. I mean, the brother is phenomenal; he’s an offensive talent, there’s no doubt about this. But there’s a difference between getting in shape in the offseason and staying in shape during the season. And that’s something we have to monitor moving forward.”
Smith pointed out some doubts he had about how Doncic’s transformation would impact his style of playing, particularly whether he’d become more active off the ball while also showing greater effort on defense.
“It’s nice to see him prioritizing his conditioning,” Smith continued. “We know that’s been an Achilles’ heel of his. He’s a terrific basketball player, a star in this league. But how it’s going to translate to the basketball court is not just about how you look, but the effort that you put forth. It doesn’t end in the offseason. That’s where it starts.”
Smith’s skepticism is grounded in history. Concerns over Doncic’s conditioning have followed him for several seasons and were even cited as one of the reasons behind his departure from the Dallas Mavericks.
It has been observed that Doncic has gotten into shape during the offseason, primarily ahead of national duty with the Slovenian men’s basketball team. While his improved conditioning is a welcome sight to fans, the eventual result hasn’t been promising as he returns to familiar form during the regular season.
Still, this year feels different. On a new team, with a lot more fueling him, Doncic seems primed to have a revenge season.
This transformation has been marked by a commitment to change. With a strict training regimen and diet plan, the Lakers star intends to be in the best shape of his career to remain dominant for years to come.
Having embraced his role as the face of the Lakers’ franchise, Doncic truly presents a lot of promise for the team’s future.
Reports suggest that the 26-year-old phenomenon is in a “win-now” mindset, which has been indicated by his involvement in the Lakers’ offseason roster-building project.
In the meantime, the Purple and Gold will be eager to see the superstar sign his contract extension, which is expected to be done over the weekend before returning to Slovenia.
