JJ Redick Impressed With Luka Doncic’s Conditioning

Coming into this season, there is some extra pressure on Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic. Of course, last season ended with him being unable to suit up in the playoffs due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, so getting healthy was the most important thing. But the Lakers also built the roster with players who best fit around him as he is now clearly the leader of this team and face of the franchise.

Doncic continued his work from last offseason, coming into training camp in tremendous shape once again, and he looked every bit as good as last season in the Lakers’ dominant preseason victory over the Sacramento Kings. And head coach JJ Redick made it clear that Doncic is in great shape physically, while throwing in a joke about his offseason workouts.

“He’s great physically,” Anthony Slater of ESPN” target=”_blank”>Redick said of Doncic. “That big, big guy worked his butt off all summer on staying in shape, and actually ran this summer. Like he actually did like sprints and stuff and came into camp in fantastic shape. I think for someone who normally plays a ton of basketball, live basketball, he didn’t do as much of that this summer by design. And I think we’ve seen him literally every day in camp, incrementally just get more and more in rhythm. So I think for him, throughout the preseason that’s sort of the gaol. It’s the goal for all the guys, but particularly for him is to continue to build that game shape and then continue to build his offensive rhythm.”

Throughout his career, Doncic, like many other players, focused mainly on playing basketball in the offseason, but that has changed over the last two years. This summer, in particular, he really had to put more focus on his body as he recovered from that injury and the results are showing.

In just 16 minutes, Doncic poured in 21 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals as the Kings had absolutely no answer for him. And if Redick is to be believed, Doncic is only barely getting into rhythm so by the time the regular season kicks off, he will be in full swing and the rest of the league is gonna have an even harder time trying to keep him in check.

JJ Redick believes Quentin Grimes is a great complement to Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves

While Austin Reaves didn’t suit up alongside Doncic in the preseason opener, guard Quentin Grimes had a strong debut in purple and gold and Redick feels he is an ideal complement to the Lakers’ star backcourt.