Luka Doncic lost weight this summer, vows to be improved defender

Fresh off winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors, Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic is positioning himself for an even bigger sophomore campaign.

In an interview this week with Dwain Price of the team’s website, the 20-year-old Doncic was asked about reports that he had lost weight this offseason, possibly as much as 20 pounds.

“Yeah, but I didn’t check it,” he replied. “I just lost it, so I don’t have to worry about it, so that’s the key.

“I would say I’m faster now,” Doncic added. “So [my defense is] going to get better, for sure.”

The Slovenian star, who is officially listed at 218 pounds, had an incredible rookie season for the Mavs, averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. But Doncic’s defense and lateral quickness left a lot to be desired, such that he actually posted a negative net rating on the year thanks to his shortcomings on that end of the floor.

Doncic’s co-star in Dallas has also gotten into impressive shape this summer, so the team obviously has a lot to be excited about heading into 2019-20.