Luka Doncic looks like a new man. He has slimmed down over the summer, dropping over 30 pounds through a disciplined mix of diet and intense workouts.
He is visibly much leaner, and looks to be more explosive than ever. Now that the initial praise has settled, a different kind of conversation is starting to bubble. Did Doncic lose too much weight?
Leaner Luka Doncic raises eyebrows around the league
People around the league have started raising the question.
The Ringer’s Tyler Parker brought up this point: “He [Doncic] uses those shoulders like battering rams… If he gets you on his hip, he’s strong enough that nobody’s going to be able to really bump him off his spot… Hopefully, he maintains enough mass that stuff is still able to be part of his game.”
He even added: “There probably is a too-skinny version of Luka.”
That is a fair thought to have. There is no denying that Doncic’s size and strength have always been a huge part of what made him so difficult to guard. He did not rely on speed; he imposed himself.
He has had a great ability to seek out mismatches; he has made it look easy to park a defender on his hip and go to work. Now that he has dropped weight, it is interesting to see if that is going to be somewhat of a negative.
So far, this EuroBasket tournament has given every reason not to believe that being too skinny will cause a negative impact. Doncic has looked extremely sharp in Slovenia’s tune-up games so far.
He put up 19 points and 5 assists in 24 minutes against Germany. Then against Latvia, he exploded for 26 points in just one half before a teammate accidentally fell on his knee.
That injury looked rough at first, but Doncic bounced back quickly and returned in the very next game just a couple of days later against Great Britain. In that game, he reminded everyone why the panic was premature.
He got to his spots, and looked fully in control, dropping 28 points, 6 boards and 10 assists in just over 28 minutes of action. 12 of those points came in just the first seven minutes of the game.
So, isLuka “too skinny?" It certainly does not look like it.
In fact, this might be the most dangerous version we have ever seen. He seems to still have the strength. Now, he has added speed and endurance, and maybe even better defence.
After last year’s fatigue and an injury-riddled season, this version feels like a necessary evolution, not a risky gamble. At the end of the day, the real concern will not be about his frame. It will be how anyone in the league plans to stop him.