The Dallas Mavericks parted ways with Luka Doncic allegedly because of some condition issues. Well Lakers fans, I’m sure you’re glad to see the latest Doncic sighting this offseason. It doesn’t look like he’s taking the disrespect lightly.
Sure he was seen in street clothes while at a Real Madrid basketball game in Europe, compared to a uniform, but Doncic looks very much in basketball shape, despite the Lakers’ season ending in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. That’s a good sign for the Lakers who are starving for a championship. Their last one came in the bubble season, which fans have joked deserved an asterisk thanks to a consolidated, neutral site finish to the year.
The Lakers traded for Doncic because they needed another star to pair with LeBron James, while also solidifying their future once James, who’s 40, retires. They have every intention of winning a title with Doncic and it looks like he’s doing everything he can to deliver them one.
Lakers fans should be re-energized for next season after Luka Doncic offseason sighting
Doncic has a lot to prove between now and the start of the season and then in his first full season with his new team. The Lakers acquired Doncic and the Mavericks felt Doncic’s conditioning was an issue with his supermax contract looming.
That means he can spend this entire offseason getting into the best shape of his life. That would be the ultimate slap in the face to the Mavs as they gave up on a generational talented player over something that could have easily been addressed and handled. But it’s more than just getting in shape during the down time.
He also needs to carry that mindset over into the season itself. The Lakers acquired him because they feel he gives them the best chance to win a championship. He has to deliver. Doncic arguably has more pressure to win in LA than he did in Dallas.
In Dallas, sure he already reached it adding more pressure, but the Mavs haven’t won a championship in 15 years. And the Lakers will always have the pressure to win a championship as one of the most successful franchises in the sport.
Offseason stuff is a great way to get fans hyped up for the season and what to expect, but it means nothing if it doesn’t translate to the regular season. Doncic looks in shape now, but he has to keep it up. And when the season begins, he has to engineer a run for the Lakers to return to the top of the NBA.