Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is enjoying a more productive second half of the season after re-upping his conditioning. That’s according to team owner Mark Cuban.
According to reports, Luka Doncic reported to training camp weighing 260 pounds, for the second straight year no less. The player himself admitted he relaxed too much in between the Olympics and his return to Dallas.
He is now closer to his rookie weight, having reportedly dropped around 15 pounds. The statistics bear out his increased level of fitness, too.
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Luke Doncic averaged 25.6 points, 8 rebounds and 8.5 assists with a minus-5.5 net rating through the season’s first 21 games. The 22-year old then took three weeks out to recover from an injury.
In the 23 games since, he’s averaged 29.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.4 assists with a plus-13 net rating. His improvement also seems to be as a result of his recent All-Star snub.
In the ten games since receiving zero votes to start the All-Star game, Doncic has averaged 35.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists.
“I think he was humbled a little bit,” Cuban said. “I think he didn’t like being called out for his weight and other things, and it finally clicked that there’s a level of discipline that’s required.”
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“All athletes at his level go through it at some level, where things are just easy and you’re always used to being the best and you’re always used to getting all the accolades. Then when something doesn’t go according to expected, it makes you reconsider.
“He knows what he needs to do, and it finally clicked that if he’s going to be the best — and I know he wants to be the best — that there’s certain things he has to control,” Cuban said. “Once he got a handle on those things, it’s just been ‘Katie, bar the door.’ He’s just been unstoppable.”
