Lakers Assistant Believes Luka Doncic Will Keep Improving As He Finds Rhythm This Summer

Luka Doncic's dramatic physical transformation has been one of the key talking points of the offseason. While the Los Angeles Lakers star underwent this change to improve his performance on the court, Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean claimed that there was more to come. In an interview with Basketnews, he said:

"I think it's still a work in progress. I think the summer's not over yet. And he's going to continue to get better. I think we'll continue to see as he gets more in-game shape with some rhythm."

St. Jean, who also joined Slovenia's coaching staff for the 2025 EuroBasket, addressed the kind of workouts Doncic utilized to improve his physical conditioning. With claims that the Slovenian stepped away from basketball for nearly a month to focus solely on conditioning, it is fair to assume that getting back into the flow of things will take time.

Regardless, the outlook is certainly positive, as has been visible from his performance during the warm-up games leading up to the 2025 EuroBasket. After a dominant performance against Latvia, where he suffered a minor right knee contusion, Doncic bounced back stronger and put on a show against Great Britain. 

While helping Slovenia secure a 93-81 win, the star guard put up a convincing stat line of  28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block. 

Aside from his offensive mastery, Doncic has also displayed a more active effort on the defensive end. The improvement in his conditioning has allowed him to move his feet better, resulting in a lot more activity, along with significant defensive contributions.

When outlining Doncic's roadmap for preparation before the 2025-26 NBA season, the Lakers assistant coach said:

"He's been doing a lot of training, and now he's going to be playing five-on-five competition. His game last week was the first time he's played five-on-five in a long time."

"So it's a work in progress. We'll continue to see him play more and more, and as the tournament progresses, and then get ready for the Lakers season."

St. Jean also established that the goal for this offseason was for Doncic to improve his overall stamina so that he could sustain his performance even in late-game situations. Considering how high his usage rate is expected to be next season, this approach could be ideal.

Given the kind of hype he has generated over the offseason, several expect an MVP-caliber season from the 26-year-old. Last season, Doncic demonstrated that he deserved to be mentioned alongside the best in the league. 

He posted an average of 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, while shooting 45.0% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range last season. With the possibility of a rise in productivity, Doncic could find himself having one of the best campaigns of his career if he remains healthy.