Luka Doncic made a surprising admission on Tuesday after his Dallas Mavericks lost 102-99 to the Brooklyn Nets.
Doncic played 37 minutes in his team’s loss, second behind teammate Dorian Finney-Smith, who played 38 minutes. Throughout the game, TNT’s broadcasters commented on Doncic’s appearance and conditioning. Reggie Miller felt Doncic looked heavy and said the talented guard looked out of shape.
“This is the heaviest I’ve probably ever seen Luka look,” Miller said during the first quarter. “Look how he’s plodding up and down. He’s not really running.”
Miller went on to note how many injuries Doncic has dealt with and wondered to what extent they were bothering the Mavs star.
Doncic conceded the point. The Mavs guard said after the game that he probably took it a little too easy after the Olympics and lost his conditioning.
Doncic had a long offseason due to his participation on Slovenia’s national team. He has also reported to the Mavericks weighing over 260 pounds two years in a row.
Representing his country may be an explanation for being tired, but players like Kevin Durant also participated in the Olympics, and he didn’t fall out of shape. Players are supposed to know their own bodies and understand when to push it and when to take it easy. Maybe Doncic knew he needed to give himself a break. Or maybe he took it too easy and needs to change that.
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