Colin Cowherd Downplays Luka Doncic’s Offseason Transformation Hype

After a fruitful roster-building process this offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers look like a formidable unit ahead of the upcoming campaign. While the promise of a new roster has been a major talking point this summer, Luka Doncic‘s latest physical transformation has generated more attention as of late.

Last offseason, Luka Doncic underwent a dramatic transformation, focusing on physical conditioning to maximize his performance. While this proved to be a worthwhile venture, with Doncic even winning the scoring title last season, the superstar appears to have maintained his regimen, as he appears to be in even better shape this summer.

Needless to say, the hype surrounding Doncic’s physique has been immense. However, Colin Cowherd doesn’t seem as impressed, as he downplayed the offseason transformation on a recent episode of “The Herd.”

“So there was a picture of Luka Doncic. He looks great, by the way,” Cowherd began. “This is what he should look like: tall and very lean. His fans are buzzing about his offseason transformation. He looks terrific. He looks like Bradley Cooper, actually, with a headband a little bit on, doesn’t he? He looks fantastic.”

“Let me just say this. Offseason, your sleep is less interrupted. You’re not having midnight dinners. Your diet should be good. This is what you should look like as a pro athlete. After a season, you take a couple of weeks off, and you have less disrupted sleep and diet. This should not be a big story. The last four years, Luka has played fewer games than 41-year-old LeBron  James and 38-year-old Kevin Durant… He’s averaging 62 games a season. That’s not good.”

For the most part, Cowherd makes a meaningful observation. As a professional athlete, there is an expectation to maintain a certain standard of fitness. In this regard, a player like LeBron James is the gold standard.

In Luka Doncic’s case, the 27-year-old’s physical transformation is relatively recent. Given that he was heavily criticized for his weight issues and the subsequent impact it had on his defensive involvement, Doncic decided to turn things around in L.A., which was promising. Unfortunately, it doesn’t undo his recurring injury issues and absences over the last few years.

One could argue that Colin Cowherd’s comment seems to hit the mark. By the same token, however, it also appears to undervalue what such a change could mean for Doncic’s performances moving forward.

Luka Doncic’s transformation last season yielded tangible results, as the guard averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. When considering that it was the product of just one summer, one can only hope his commitment to fitness results in sustained excellence.

For all intents and purposes, Cowherd overlooked this side of the narrative, as he reiterated:

“When I see a picture of him slimmed down, and people are buzzing… Guys, that’s the baseline. I mean, he’s a handsome kid. It very much is Bradley Cooper with a headband, but this is the baseline. This is what a pro athlete should look like. We shouldn’t be buzzing every other year.”

Unfortunately for Cowherd, he appears to be the only one who doesn’t get the hype at this stage. With many taking note of Doncic’s summer build, the fans have every reason to be excited for what’s in store.

Videos from the Lakers’ trip to Slovenia have already left several fans buzzing about the team’s chemistry and how it will reflect on the court. With Luka Doncic stepping up as the undisputed face of the franchise this upcoming season, it will be intriguing to see how the new-look Lakers perform.