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The 2023 NBA playoffs start on Saturday, but Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks won't make an appearance this season after finishing 11th in the Western Conference. Now, NBA legend Reggie Miller has a piece of advice that could help Doncic for next season.
Miller addressed the problem the Slovenian star could work on as his team heads into the offseason earlier than expected. On TNT, the former Indiana Pacers star tackled Doncic's weight issue, which has been a problem that most people have pointed out.
"Let’s face it," Miller said. "Luka needs to start looking in the mirror a little bit, too, right? I hate to throw this all on Kyrie (Irving). Luka needs to kind of look at himself and (ask), ‘What could I have done better?'
"I think a lot of times, if you watch Mavericks games and the antics and talking to the officials — and this is coming from a guy who stayed on the officials myself — sometimes that wears on them. That wears on them. It really does. Just looking at it from afar, at times, I just think the officials were tuning him out."
Doncic has proven that he has the ability to shed unnecessary weight. During the 2022 EuroBasket in Germany, Doncic showcased a slimmer body. Fans even praised him for being in better shape and expected it to be carried over in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Getting in better shape could help Doncic focus better next season. The four-time All-Star has a ton of time to get into better shape now that the Mavs aren't in this year's playoffs. The 2018-19 Rookie of the Year finished the season averaging 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists.
You might also be interested in reading this: “Don't come back to Dallas useless fatty ballhog” – Fans react ridiculously to Luka Doncic landing in Slovenia
After sitting Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs were fined $750,000 by the league
The Mavs seem to have given up during the last days of the 2022-23 campaign as they decided to sit down most of their starters. The team shut down Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Christian Wood and most of the starters game against the Chicago Bulls.
This week, the NBA issued a $750,000 fine for the team's actions.
In a statement, Joe Dumars, the executive vice president and head of basketball operations of the NBA, said:
"The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to restrict key players from fully participating in an elimination game last Friday against Chicago undermined the integrity of our sport. The Mavericks’ actions failed our fans and our league."
