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Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised Luka Doncic for working on his body this offseason. Doncic was criticized for coming into last season out of shape. Former player Reggie Miller pointed out the concerns regarding Doncic's weight when broadcasting one of the Mavericks' games.
However, the Slovenian guard has been active this offseason, hitting the training room regularly. He is possibly in the best condition physically since entering the NBA in 2018. His fitness could be mostly credited to playing for his national team at the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and EuroBasket 2022.
During an appearance on the "All The Smoke" podcast, Jason Kidd lauded Luka Doncic (via Clutch Points):
"We all saw Luka's taking his body serious. I think, during the season, Reggie or someone made the comment that he thought he was too heavy. And what I love about Luka is he never runs from opinions. So when Reggie said that, he worked on his body and he took off."
Doncic will hope to help the Dallas Mavericks win at a high level from the get-go. Once again, he finds himself the lone All-Star on the roster. His health could be crucial to the Mavericks' chances of doing well in the stacked Western Conference.
Luka Doncic returns for Dallas Mavericks, looks in great rhythm during first preseason appearance
Luka Doncic rejoined the Dallas Mavericks last week. He got an extended break after a busy offseason where he represented the Slovenian national team. Doncic played his first preseason game against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 7. He had 18 points and five assists and shot 6 of 8 from the floor, including three 3-pointers.
His offseason conditioning allowed him to make an impact in his limited playing time (16 minutes). These are positive signs for the Mavericks, who will be hoping that Doncic carries his EuroBasket 2022 form into the new season.
The Dallas Mavericks couldn't add another All-Star in the summer. However, they made some solid additions like JaVale McGee and Christian Wood. In the game against the Magic, Luka showed some great chemistry with the two bigs already.
The Mavericks improved significantly under new coach Jason Kidd last season. They lost in the conference finals to the Golden State Warriors. The team could be looking to replicate their success from last year, or maybe even go further.
However, the odds don't look great for the Mavericks. But with Luka Doncic in the mix, they could be a dark horse. He has improved every year, and there's no reason to believe why he can't in the upcoming season as well.
Guess the Lakers players!
