“Has already begun to clean slate” – LeBron James’ podcast director reveals Luka Doncic set to transform himself in Year 2 with Lakers

One of the biggest concerns for the LA Lakers this offseason is Luka Doncic’s conditioning. It was one of the main reasons why the Dallas Mavericks gave up on him and traded for Anthony Davis. Despite his star power, conditioning remains one of Doncic’s biggest flaws.

Defensively, it hasn’t helped him perform to the standard that the teams and critics hold him to. Occasionally, he flashes his defensive ability. However, his lack of proper conditioning has kept him from being a reliable asset on that end.

On Friday, there was an update on Doncic from the director of the “Mind The Game” podcast, a show hosted by star forward LeBron James and 2x MVP Steve Nash. According to Jason Gallagher, the five-time All-Star has started with a clean slate to address his conditioning.

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"I have heard from folks that are pretty honest about the conditioning stuff or whatever, that Luka has already begun to clean slate, starting anew. He is already in this mindset of changing a lot about himself. Now, I’ve heard it before. But not from specific people that have been critical of him," Gallagher said in his appearance at "The Dumb Zone" on.

Doncic played 28 games for the Lakers this season and averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists. He had a hard time adjusting to the team after he was traded, since he came off a calf injury.

Luka Doncic looked like himself in the postseason. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 30.2 points, seven rebounds and 5.8 assists. Shooting 45.2 percent from the field through five games. However, it wasn't enough to help the Lakers past the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they were eliminated in the first round.

Former Lakers star points to the lack of synergy with Luka Doncic as the problem for the team in the playoffs

Coming into the postseason, the Lakers were the favorites since they captured the third spot in the Western Conference. Fans were confident since they had Luka Doncic and LeBron James with them, both of whom are experienced playoff performers.

However, they couldn't handle the Wolves and were eliminated in the opening round. In an interview posted on X by Spectrum Sports Net on Wednesday, former Lakers star James Worthy suggested that the lack of complete synergy with Doncic may have contributed to their defeat.

Worthy said:

"I still don’t think the synergy was complete with Luka. There were a lot of things that were absent, and so it was just tough to see that they couldn’t advance after making it to the third seed."

The second season with Luka Doncic is expected to be better for the Lakers.

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About the author

Reign Amurao

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline. 

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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