Back in February, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world by sending star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the trade went down, there were reports suggesting that one of the biggest reasons Dallas moved on from the Slovenian native was due to health concerns, particularly regarding his weight.
Regardless of the reason, many still question the Mavericks' decision to trade Doncic, especially after they missed out on the playoffs less than a year after their NBA Finals appearance. As for the Lakers, they ended the season as the No. 3 seed in the West before losing in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After Doncic's first season in Los Angeles came to an end, recent pictures of him looking much slimmer.
However, despite the recent change to his physical appearance, not everybody is sold that this will fix all the problems Doncic had. This includes Boston Celtics legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce.
In addition to Doncic's weight, there were concerns about his work ethic and hustle on and off the court, as well as his effort on the defensive side of the ball. The Lakers star remains one of the top players in the league, but it seems that there are still some areas he could improve in, and Pierce recently called them out.
"Defense is a mentality. Rebounding and the effort stuff is hustle mentality," Pierce said about Doncic on SPEAK on FS1. "He need to learn how to play some damn defense and not get isolated and picked on. That's the issue with him, not his weight."
Doncic is a perennial MVP candidate and will likely keep the Lakers as legitimate title contenders for a long time. However, it remains to be seen what he can do in a full year with the team. Either way, there is a lot to like about Doncic in Los Angeles, but how his recent physical appearance change will impact his game will be worth keeping an eye on next season.