Mavericks’ Luka Doncic admits his conditioning needs to be better: ‘I just gotta get back on track’

December 9, 2021 Sports

The Dallas Mavericks suffered their the third straight loss Tuesday night when they fell to the Brooklyn Nets 102-99, marking the team’s eighth loss in the last 10 games. Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic put up 28 points, nine assists and six rebounds in the loss, a statline that’s to be expected from him. But during the broadcast of the game on TNT, one topic of conversation brought up by analyst Reggie Miller was Doncic’s weight and conditioning.

“To me, looking at him, this is the heaviest I’ve probably ever seen Luka look, right now,” said Miller, via the Dallas Morning News. “And I know he’s had a long year with the Olympics, but look how he’s plodding up and down. He’s not really running.” After play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan agreed that Doncic looked “a little heavier,” Miller continued: “You have the keys to the kingdom if you’re Doncic, right? And he is a superstar. A superstar in the making already. But he could be so much better. And he will get better. But to me, he’s got to trim down. He really does. And he’s got to get better defensively, as well.”