Luka Doncic admits that he is not in top form: “After the Olympics, I relaxed a bit. Maybe too much”

It’s not in great form at the moment for the Mavericks of Luka Doncic. Beaten by Brooklyn last night, the Slovenian and his friends lost for the third time in a row and remain on eight defeats in ten games, thus going to a negative balance. A bad period which coincides with a Luka not really in the best physical condition of his life …

He already did it to us last year. If Luka usually gains strength during the season and then reaches an all-time level on the big stage of the Playoffs, he also got into the bad habit of showing up at training camp with a few extra pounds. Enjoying the summer is good, especially when you’re a 22-year-old NBA superstar coming out of a big season with the Mavericks, as well as an intense Olympic campaign with Slovenia. However, it’s also good to avoid excess. And obviously, Luka still has a little trouble resisting the small pleasures of the holidays. Doncic simply admitted that he had to “get back on track” after the meeting against the Nets on Tuesday. A meeting in which he took out his usual stats – 28 points, 6 rebounds, 9 caviars – but where he lacked sharpness (9/21 shooting, 3/11 from distance). In his defense, Luka had to deal with a sore ankle and knee during the second half of November (three misses in a row), which doesn’t help find the rhythm but it is clear that Doncic seems a bit too heavy today.

“I know I have to do better. The summer was long. I participated in the Olympics, took three weeks off and relaxed a bit. May be too much. “

– Luka Doncic, via ESPN

With the sequence of NBA Playoffs – Olympic Games, where Luka had first carried the Mavericks alone against the Clippers then Slovenia until the semi-finals of the Olympics (this against Nico …), he clearly deserved his three weeks of rest. And he has the right to do whatever he wants during this period. But as the saying goes, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready”. Translation: If you stay in shape, you don’t need to get back in shape. This message has obviously not yet reached Luka’s ears, rather the type to use the first weeks of the regular season to gradually reach his optimal physical condition. At the time of these lines, if we are to believe Tim MacMahon ofESPN, which covers the Texan teams and therefore the Mavs, Luka reportedly arrived at Dallas training camp at the end of September with 118 kilos, while it is officially listed at … 104. We’ll let you calculate the difference. In short, between his percentage in free throws which has never been so low, his complaints to the referees who reach a record number, and a physical condition far from being at the top, it is a start to the season full of frustration for Luka The Don. And when Luka isn’t at his best, the Mavericks pay a heavy price.

Luka Doncic is certainly an all-time talent, but it’s starting to get a little annoying having to write a paper on the man’s physical condition at the start of each season, even if we don’t doubt for a single second of his ability to regain his MVP level soon.

Text source: ESPN