The Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended abruptly in late April when they were defeated quite handily by the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.
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The Timberwolves were the better, deeper, younger and more athletic squad compared to the Lakers. L.A. had some glaring holes in its roster before the series, and they were exploited mightily in the playoffs.
Nonetheless, the Lakers are expected to come back stronger with a bolstered roster led by Luka Doncic. Doncic is eligible for an extension this summer, and the plan is that he will sign it when eligible at the beginning of August.
The Lakers will likely have a superstar to guide them for the better part of a decade. However, some question marks surround Doncic’s commitment to staying in shape.
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Many have touched on the topic, including the Mavericks, who pointed to that as one of the biggest reasons they parted ways with him. However, it seems Doncic is doing his best to turn a new leaf, at least according to Jason Gallagher, an Emmy award-winning director.
Gallagher said that Doncic has major plans regarding his conditioning.
“I’ve heard from folks thats are pretty honest… that Luka has already begun a clean slate, starting anew, in this mindset of changing a lot about himself.”
Doncic’s conditioning and commitment to it have been the subject of discussion about being traded to the Lakers in February. That discussion only got louder once the Lakers were eliminated in the playoffs.
After the Lakers were eliminated, head coach JJ Redick said that entering next season, the team must be in ‘championship shape’.
“I’ll start with the offseason and the work that’s required in an offseason to be in championship shape,” Redick said. “And we have a ways to go as a roster. And certainly, there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape. There’s certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That’s where my mind goes immediately is we have to get in championship shape.”
It didn’t stop there. Last week, the Lakers posted a job opening for a head strength and conditioning coach.
It’s evident the Lakers are prioritizing the health of their star player, knowing full well their championship hopes hinge on his availability and peak condition. Doncic’s talent is unquestionable, but whether he can elevate his team to a title remains a topic for debate.
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