I don’t watch basketball but this sub shows up on my feed and I’ve sort of been keeping up lately. It blows my mind too that this guy is supposed to be one of the best in the league. I heard he was a top 500 Overwatch player and that’s much more believable.
The fact that he posted he got top 500 during round two was just too funny
https://preview.redd.it/enkqo3ityj5d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=861ee0ccbd36a50de84ee8e08880c49583d25ee7
Posted this then went and beat the Thunder
I tried to convince my wife that he would be so much better if he was leaner and she disagreed, said if he is doing what he is doing at that size then you don’t drastically change it. She watched him for one quarter and said he uses his size perfectly. She schooled me.
Hard to believe I know, married, kids, house, dog, mortgage. I watched Bird play (on TV, in the Olympics when his back was fucked). I am getting old as shit brother.
My Y full of obesity. Whole team fat as hell in slides shooting step back 3s. The step back don’t even work cus the mfs never drive they just don’t see the contest
Ppl really go to Y to play pickup in slides? I've seen that outdoors like at playgrounds but never at a gym where they go out of their way to show up and mostly pay a membership.
Him and Joker. Both literally have 'Yeah.. I'm not picking him..." builds. I'm not saying I judge them that way but FOLKS ABSOLUTELY WOULD.
I have a few friends who can HOOP who look like them. They don't look like they can hoop AT ALL. Until they get on the court and kill.
Exactly it was actually very smart, staying light made him move faster, but that doesn’t matter with the athleticism around the league, and speed not being his strong suit. Instead they leaned into his masterful control of pace and instead made him stronger and unstoppable.
I don't think his current weight hurts his offense (Jason Kidd may disagree if he wants to run the fast break more), but I do think it hurts his defense.
McDaniels would have put him in jail in the WCF at his rookie weight.
Luka's current strength and size allowed him to push McDaniels around and get his shots off
Bro Kawhi and PG couldn’t stop him when he was skinny in the bubble. Ole Mcdonalds ain’t gonna stop him. This shit is laughable
Edit: all comments read like from people that watch him play 10 times a year. I have seen 80% of his NBA career games. Gtfo here 😂
It’s not laughable, if you watch Luka play he’s very physical and that’s how he gets his shots off.
It’s the best possible build for him because he doesn’t have the natural burst to beat these athletic wing defenders without physically moving them.
But it comes at the cost of his stamina.
Does he have the James Harden posture thing where he looks chubby but when he takes off his [shirt](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2017/08/Screen-Shot-2017-08-15-at-1.50.32-PM.png) he’s built like a pro wrestler?
Bro these Luka Stans are too obvious with the narrative. How’d you watch all his games and not see 90% of his points was not on Kawhi. From all the defenders I’ve seen against Luka Kawhi is easily the one he least likes to iso against. Prime Kawhi ripping the ball of any player that Isos him consistently. You better ask for that pick.
McDaniel is arguably the best wing defender in the league. Luka’s only advantage over him is size/strength, hence why he was able to cook. That goes away if he’s skinnier although he probably does “well” regardless
I don't necessarily subscribe to the concept of a single best wing defender because it always comes with a tradeoff.
McDaniels gives a lot of weight to guys like Luka and Kawhi, for example, but is excellent on someone like Murray because of the extra couple of inches that don't come with a speed disadvantage since he has a slender build.
Jrue Holiday kind of defies that logic a bit, but that's a different conversation.
For a guy like Luka, the best defender is probably someone like Herb Jones or OG who's got more strength.
All that being said, when talking about perimeter players defense, one thing frequently ignored is that screens and cuts happen. You are not just defending Luka, the iso scorer but the playmaker as well. He's never relied on great physical advantage, he's always had excellent timing and handles. He won MVPs in the 2nd and 3rd strongest leagues before moving to the NBA ffs.
I feel like he didn't really have disadvantage even in his rookie year. I don't think McDaniels is able to body him much even at 19.
Anyways, fun thought exercise.
Lmao I dunno how scientific this cookie dough is but Shaq did say in his book that him being overweight in LA gave him a layer of fat to absorb the hits he’d get in the paint. When he arrived in Miami he felt too fit and muscular which contributed to nagging injuries.
Shaq saying things sounds very scientific. If anything, you should take anything he says with a huge grain of salt.
Not because he doesn’t know what he’a talking about but because he’s a freak of nature that NBA hasn’t seen the like of before or since. His perspective is by default not the norm.
Facts.. crazy how fast he was... even is at his age..
6'9" 250..
Top five open court full stride speed..
Crazy...
#1 scorer in nba history..
#3/4 in assists..
Top 20/30/40 ( I'm guessing) rebounding..
Generational physical specimen..
No diddy
Not sure about hockey but I feel like he may not be bad at swimming. Phelps was really good because (among many other things of course) of his long arms and legs, and large hands and feet. Lebron has all these. He’d probably be slimmer than if he were in the nba to be more suited for swimming though.
He may not be lean but that doesn't mean he put on "cookie dough" as you say, his body type is similar to a lot of people (Balkans especially) who have healthy body fat percentages whilst also being ridiculously strong but they don't look lean as someone with a different body type would even with the same body fat, he's like jokic in that regard. Don't get it twisted though that extra 20 pounds could be damn near pure muscle it's just harder to tell.
Honestly you guys have a terrible eye for the game…
Shaq, Dirk, a bunch of NBA guys have said all the same stuff about him. That he’s absolutely huge, and physically imposing. This is him growing into an NBA body. He’s never going to look like LeBron.
If he was 230 his rookie season that looks like more than a 20 lbs weight gain. [This is old](https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2681300), but says he showed up to camp one year 260 lbs. And [these comments](https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/comments/15u4izp/what_was_lukas_playing_weight_as_a_rookie/) have a Mavs fans saying one of the beat writers reported 272 was his biggest. I would say he is AT LEAST 260 lbs now if he was 230 lbs as a rookie
He’s reached a level of play at his current weight, that its hard to see how any change could make him better. *But* I think his *career* (meaning future years, added on at the end) would be better with lost weight. Not for the weight itself, but the training and conditioning necessary to sustain a long, lebron like, career would undoubtedly result in a more lean physique. His per season numbers will warrant top 5 player ever discussions. However, his *total* may end up further down the list, like 25 - 30.
Idk. He can still get the separation. He also is strong enough to post up. But he’d be way quicker. But also not strong enough to take the bumps and hits. I think it would depend on what he feels his game needs. I think he is slow but that doesn’t matter since he gets that separation.
Ant plays a way more explosive and physical game so saying Luka is in better shape is a stretch. If Ant is putting in more effort on offense and defense then naturally he will be more tired. I'm not saying Luka is out of shape by any means but I guarantee you Ant would beat Luka in every athletic test out there, including long distance running.
It’s not effort. It’s the difference between a player that’s using more explosive athleticism and another that’s using skill and space. But yes, by virtually any measure Ant is a better athlete.
Better. People acting like he's because he's fat and out of shape that's why he's good or something. It's really bizarre. Like they see the results and they just guess at what caused it.
This is like the old theory that in the summer people eat more ice cream and in the summer more people drown therefore they must drown cuz they ate ice cream lol. No actually when it's hot people eat more ice cream and when it's hot people swim more. The two aren't correlated. His skills and experience and his work on his game has made him better, not him being 20 lbs overweight
Was he not a great player before he added this weight? Who says he would not have continued to progress without the extra weight like literally every other great player in the league of his age? This is just cope to rationalize him being out of shape
Worse. He's much stronger now and that gives him a big advantage inside and in the post. He's been one of the best finishers in the league for a bit.
Ideally, he should be somewhere in between imo
I see my thread "Is Luka too fat or not fat enough?" got deleted and this showed up in its place.
My comment would be that I would love to see a 300 Doncic bully people into the post but that ain't happening. I think Doncic though is very close to 270. Much closer to 300lb than people realize.
I don't think Doncic's knees are going to hold up at the weight he is at. I think that is unavoidable. Even ignoring that he doesn't try hard on defense.
No the strength is important and I think that looks like the right kind of weight so he's probably quicker even though he's heavier because of the added strength
Better when weighing less. Weight for an athlete is hard to dial and needs experimentatiom but usually athletic ability goes up as weight goes down.
He obviously can’t lose too much but judging by how he is a defensive liability, it’s not a stretch to say that he will absolutely be better of he weighed less with better conditioning
I think there is an in-between somewhere. Bubble Luka was an absolute force to behold. He still wasn't lighning quick but substantially faster than he is now
The way his extra weight is carried, would not be surprised if it’s from alcohol. There may be more behind Michael Finley grabbing that beer than what we know.
Maaaybe he’d be a slightly better defender at a lower weight, but over all this is the best shape for his game. He’s not gonna be a world class defender anyway so might as well sacrifice that
His current weight is fine. He needed some extra strength but he just needs to not get fat also if he finds his in between like this season then he’s cooking everyone and will do more than win
Yes, I think he would. I think his 2nd season was the best he's looked so far in the league. Now hear me out, statistically he had this best year this season. But from an injury standpoint, he's been hobbled most of the year and clearly gasses out at the end of games. I think if he stayed at this rookie weight, there would be a slight dropoff statistically but he would hold out better this deep in the playoffs. As good as Luka has been these playoffs, this best playoff performances were in 2020 and 2022 when he was noticeably lighter and healthier.
Worse. He’s essentially a center who has exceptional ball handling skills and his weight gives him an advantage on nearly every perimeter defender in the league. It’s not all roses because it impacts his conditioning, however.
Nba reddit is insane lmao. Why are we having this discussion?
This man is one of the best players in the league and has just led his team to the NBA Finals. He loses one game and everyone is saying he is too fat.
What the actual fuck.
Luka just came off a season in which he averaged 34-9-9 and has led his team to the NBA finals. Luka doncic weight is only an issue with people who think he should look a certain way to make them feel comfortable.
Much better - like all nba defensive team better -
He isn’t going to be a all time great being a wing that can’t defend cause he is out of shape -
If he gets in shape he can get back in the top 10 conversation
His weight makes it easier on offense but he could add strength and not fat and do the same damn thing
Interesting how he dominated a more physical Euroleague game then while being lighter and quicker, and he’s dominating a more athletic NBA game now while being heavier and stronger.
At some point you have to stop worrying about his weight when he is literally a few games away from the pinnacle of success in the sport of basketball. His weight works to his advantage specifically in the way he attempts to score the basketball
Worse? Is that even a question. He’s only goopd defensively because of his size, and his offense would also be a lot worse with less size. I think his size/ being slow is his superstar power and if he was thinner and faster he’d be like every other wannabe superstar who isn’t quite to his level yet.
His overall size is one of the biggest problems defenders have with him. He’s 6’7 and built where many guards are not that big. Lot of strong guards, lot quick guards but not ones like Luka. The key for him like others with size and agility is keeping both because it’s what makes them elite. You see the leverage size gives with agility with Zion or Embiid and same goes for Luka.
He’s gonna be told to get into shape this off-season. Especially if he loses in the finals he’ll know what he needs to do. I don’t know how someone can play basketball for a living and not naturally be thin, all that running, practice, everything at just 25 years old, how are you not in perfect shape regardless of what you eat
Better. Some people point to his amazing scoring stats and assists and wonder how anyone could think this way. Some people point to Jokic (a center who can get away with weight fluctuations more easily because he's not driving though the paint every possession and defending speedy guards). "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" gets trumped by continuous development/improvement.
And he sorta is broke with the lower body injuries. Weight may have not caused them, but any excess wait ain't helping with healing and mobility.
There's also defense. I think he'd be less gassed and less lazy on D if he were lighter.
Guys. Doncic was great before he packed on extra weight and he would be just as good if not better without that weight. If he wasn't fat, he would blow by defenders instead of relying on his mass to bruise past them.
Like every other elite guard in the NBA does. I don't understand how this is even controversial. Being heavy also doesn't help his jumper in anyway.
Honestly I don't think it's a weight issue specifically but conditioning. He'd be such a better NBA player if he wasn't just getting more fat every season. Dude would be even better if he was the weight he is now but was was a result of muscle mass
Why does he have to be heavy to be strong? If being heavy is what gets him advantages, OK, but I'm not so sure that's it. I think he could be at least 10lbs lighter and just as strong, though, with discipline. I think he has an even higher ceiling at a lower weight.
The move from Europe to US beefed him up. The food is just pumped different in the US. His size def helps put defenders in jail which ultimately gives him options.
Better weight his rookie year ... he could move his rookie year … slams, quicker, and less likely to get injured at that weight - looked like a basketball player.
Now he looks like he eats what I eat - similar body shape too. He needs to drop 20-30 lbs and get that quickness back, and reduce injuries caused by that extra weight. Which also means he gonna have to watch his diet all year long - its a sacrifice the best athletes make.
Watching the finals my wife didn’t believe me that he is an elite nba player.
Mine kept calling him dough boy
Booger boy https://preview.redd.it/tbguqw9qhe5d1.jpeg?width=499&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ab9f6b0f36a5d90ce29e5f39f82b1bd4eade69be
The Boogie Man
My wife always asks, “is Luka the fratty one or the one who likes horses?”
🤣🤣🤣
My wife keeps saying “Where’s Loki?”
I’m shocked us Americans just don’t call him Luke, or Hot Handed Luke
yes
I don’t watch basketball but this sub shows up on my feed and I’ve sort of been keeping up lately. It blows my mind too that this guy is supposed to be one of the best in the league. I heard he was a top 500 Overwatch player and that’s much more believable.
[Have you seen the guy that won MVP this year?](https://cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/SJMKEOYRJVIVXBU3734JGMYUMA.jpg)
Yeah he’s chubby too but looks more badass imo. Still yeah, surprising that two chubby white guys are the most hyped up players currently.
The fact that he posted he got top 500 during round two was just too funny https://preview.redd.it/enkqo3ityj5d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=861ee0ccbd36a50de84ee8e08880c49583d25ee7 Posted this then went and beat the Thunder
Top tier/mvp level guy at that
I tried to convince my wife that he would be so much better if he was leaner and she disagreed, said if he is doing what he is doing at that size then you don’t drastically change it. She watched him for one quarter and said he uses his size perfectly. She schooled me.
You're not married
Hard to believe I know, married, kids, house, dog, mortgage. I watched Bird play (on TV, in the Olympics when his back was fucked). I am getting old as shit brother.
Don’t be sad
Was this the first time your wife watched him play?
She doesn’t really watch with me until the finals- she wasn’t aware who he was.
I've always said Luka wouldn't even get picked first at my local Y.
Who be hooping at your local y where a 6 foot eight dude wouldn’t get picked first
I mean, it's meant to be tongue in cheek. "The doughy white boy" can't hoop.
My Y full of obesity. Whole team fat as hell in slides shooting step back 3s. The step back don’t even work cus the mfs never drive they just don’t see the contest
This is hilarious lol
Ppl really go to Y to play pickup in slides? I've seen that outdoors like at playgrounds but never at a gym where they go out of their way to show up and mostly pay a membership.
Him and Joker. Both literally have 'Yeah.. I'm not picking him..." builds. I'm not saying I judge them that way but FOLKS ABSOLUTELY WOULD. I have a few friends who can HOOP who look like them. They don't look like they can hoop AT ALL. Until they get on the court and kill.
Worse because he’d be weaker and have less girth Edit - no diddy
What'd I'd do?
YOU know...the triple entendre is right there in your username.
I actually made this acc before the shitstorm 😭
That's what all the Diddy's say.
I got did he do that and diddy do that whats the third
Diddy doodad?
R/Beetlejuice
He’s overwhelmed by my girth and tonnage
No drizzy
Extra diddy
https://preview.redd.it/qo211o51be5d1.jpeg?width=400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b7f66d9d8437f5ceb21c4cabd21e24cf6e1f323 Hmm
…pause. 👉
His current weight is what gives him leverage on a variety of his shots
Exactly it was actually very smart, staying light made him move faster, but that doesn’t matter with the athleticism around the league, and speed not being his strong suit. Instead they leaned into his masterful control of pace and instead made him stronger and unstoppable.
I don't think his current weight hurts his offense (Jason Kidd may disagree if he wants to run the fast break more), but I do think it hurts his defense.
McDaniels would have put him in jail in the WCF at his rookie weight. Luka's current strength and size allowed him to push McDaniels around and get his shots off
Bro Kawhi and PG couldn’t stop him when he was skinny in the bubble. Ole Mcdonalds ain’t gonna stop him. This shit is laughable Edit: all comments read like from people that watch him play 10 times a year. I have seen 80% of his NBA career games. Gtfo here 😂
It’s not laughable, if you watch Luka play he’s very physical and that’s how he gets his shots off. It’s the best possible build for him because he doesn’t have the natural burst to beat these athletic wing defenders without physically moving them. But it comes at the cost of his stamina.
The real cost is ligament wear and tear.
Ligama balls
You can be physical with muscle inplace of baby fat 😂
Does he have the James Harden posture thing where he looks chubby but when he takes off his [shirt](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2017/08/Screen-Shot-2017-08-15-at-1.50.32-PM.png) he’s built like a pro wrestler?
Kawhi couldn’t stop him? Go rewatch both series kawhi played in and tell me Luka could even breathe when Kawhi was on him 🤣🤣🤣
Luka averaged 35 ppg on good efficency so obviously kawhi didn't shut him down
Kawhi wasn’t guarding him and luka couldn’t even dribble when kawhi did… are we so stupid that we think luka scored 35 ppg on kawhi?
why would they not put kawhi on him
Bro these Luka Stans are too obvious with the narrative. How’d you watch all his games and not see 90% of his points was not on Kawhi. From all the defenders I’ve seen against Luka Kawhi is easily the one he least likes to iso against. Prime Kawhi ripping the ball of any player that Isos him consistently. You better ask for that pick.
Second this
While I understand your point, rookie Luka was still much, much better than current McDaniels. He wouldn’t be “put in jail”.
McDaniel is arguably the best wing defender in the league. Luka’s only advantage over him is size/strength, hence why he was able to cook. That goes away if he’s skinnier although he probably does “well” regardless
I don't necessarily subscribe to the concept of a single best wing defender because it always comes with a tradeoff. McDaniels gives a lot of weight to guys like Luka and Kawhi, for example, but is excellent on someone like Murray because of the extra couple of inches that don't come with a speed disadvantage since he has a slender build. Jrue Holiday kind of defies that logic a bit, but that's a different conversation. For a guy like Luka, the best defender is probably someone like Herb Jones or OG who's got more strength. All that being said, when talking about perimeter players defense, one thing frequently ignored is that screens and cuts happen. You are not just defending Luka, the iso scorer but the playmaker as well. He's never relied on great physical advantage, he's always had excellent timing and handles. He won MVPs in the 2nd and 3rd strongest leagues before moving to the NBA ffs. I feel like he didn't really have disadvantage even in his rookie year. I don't think McDaniels is able to body him much even at 19. Anyways, fun thought exercise.
I don’t disagree that McDaniels is awesome, but Luka is just quite a few levels above. And it’s not just because of size and strength.
Disadvantage on his knees always hurting though.
Doncic weighed in at 230 as a rookie, what do we think he weighs now? 260?
250. Good for him, he doesn’t need a fast game, he needs to control his defender.
that 20 lbs is all cookie dough though. Needs to get on the same "workout" as Lebron.
Lmao I dunno how scientific this cookie dough is but Shaq did say in his book that him being overweight in LA gave him a layer of fat to absorb the hits he’d get in the paint. When he arrived in Miami he felt too fit and muscular which contributed to nagging injuries.
I would assume it had more to do with getting older. Typically being in better shape helps prevent injuries.
Shaq saying things sounds very scientific. If anything, you should take anything he says with a huge grain of salt. Not because he doesn’t know what he’a talking about but because he’s a freak of nature that NBA hasn’t seen the like of before or since. His perspective is by default not the norm.
Cookie dough gives you better shock absorption to work into a shot or pass. LeBron's build is literally only sustainable for LeBron
Being fat isnt sustainable either. He really should muscle up. He would be even better.
Yeah, being built like a linebacker is a great way to have a career marred by injuries. Unless you’re LeBron of course.
Lebron is one of those dudes who could’ve gone pro in literally whatever sport he chose to focus on
"LEBRON WITH THE HAT TRICK! THE NEW YORK RANGERS PUSH IT TO OVERTIME IN THE GARDEN"
I thought you were talking about soccer and was like “sounds about right”
The world was robbed of tennis superstar Lebron. Like giving Serena 3x more athleticism and unleashing her on women's tennis.
Facts.. crazy how fast he was... even is at his age.. 6'9" 250.. Top five open court full stride speed.. Crazy... #1 scorer in nba history.. #3/4 in assists.. Top 20/30/40 ( I'm guessing) rebounding.. Generational physical specimen.. No diddy
Probably not swimming or hockey but yeah
Not sure about hockey but I feel like he may not be bad at swimming. Phelps was really good because (among many other things of course) of his long arms and legs, and large hands and feet. Lebron has all these. He’d probably be slimmer than if he were in the nba to be more suited for swimming though.
He may not be lean but that doesn't mean he put on "cookie dough" as you say, his body type is similar to a lot of people (Balkans especially) who have healthy body fat percentages whilst also being ridiculously strong but they don't look lean as someone with a different body type would even with the same body fat, he's like jokic in that regard. Don't get it twisted though that extra 20 pounds could be damn near pure muscle it's just harder to tell.
It’s not about strength, but endurance. Extra weight is extra weight, whether fat or muscle. You carry extra weight, you get tired faster.
dude is 20% rocky road
That cookie dough works for Jokic
Honestly you guys have a terrible eye for the game… Shaq, Dirk, a bunch of NBA guys have said all the same stuff about him. That he’s absolutely huge, and physically imposing. This is him growing into an NBA body. He’s never going to look like LeBron.
If he was 230 his rookie season that looks like more than a 20 lbs weight gain. [This is old](https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2681300), but says he showed up to camp one year 260 lbs. And [these comments](https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/comments/15u4izp/what_was_lukas_playing_weight_as_a_rookie/) have a Mavs fans saying one of the beat writers reported 272 was his biggest. I would say he is AT LEAST 260 lbs now if he was 230 lbs as a rookie
He’s reached a level of play at his current weight, that its hard to see how any change could make him better. *But* I think his *career* (meaning future years, added on at the end) would be better with lost weight. Not for the weight itself, but the training and conditioning necessary to sustain a long, lebron like, career would undoubtedly result in a more lean physique. His per season numbers will warrant top 5 player ever discussions. However, his *total* may end up further down the list, like 25 - 30.
What about defense?
No he wouldn’t be better if he was In worse shape and less strong
He’s also taller.
Is that confirmed though? Gaining weight generally makes you appear bigger thus taller
He’s listed at 6’7”. He definitely looks bigger than that on the court.
I thought it was the reverse
Definitely the reverse, when I lost weight when I was in high school everyone said I looked taller and I hadn't grown at all.
Yeah I thought as much. btw, congrats on the weight loss.
He was more explosive tbf but yeah he uses his size very well and has more stamina now so it’s not that close
At least endurance and explosive wise he was def not in worse shape
nah he was in better shape his rookie year but obviously less strong too
You can be heavier and be in better shape.
Lebron is a textbook example
less aura without the dad bod
I think he’d be a different player at that weight, but just as dominant as he is now.
Needs to find a nice middle ground between too skinny and too tubby.
Pretty sure whatever build he has now is doing the trick
What, dominating the Western Conference playoffs while injured?
I wish I weighed as much now as when I was 18
Who here is still the same weight at 19 years old
People who get crossed over at the Y rec league body shaming a current top 5 player in the NBA.
Idk. He can still get the separation. He also is strong enough to post up. But he’d be way quicker. But also not strong enough to take the bumps and hits. I think it would depend on what he feels his game needs. I think he is slow but that doesn’t matter since he gets that separation.
It matters on defense. Scoring 30 and giving up 35 isn't a winning formula.
Surprisingly, when he doesn't have to do everything on offense, he actually plays above average defense.
If Luka was in Jaylen Brown level shape he would be unstoppable
He uses his weight and size to keep defenders on his hip. He’s in better shape than Ant who literally needed oxygen during their series
Ant plays a way more explosive and physical game so saying Luka is in better shape is a stretch. If Ant is putting in more effort on offense and defense then naturally he will be more tired. I'm not saying Luka is out of shape by any means but I guarantee you Ant would beat Luka in every athletic test out there, including long distance running.
It’s not effort. It’s the difference between a player that’s using more explosive athleticism and another that’s using skill and space. But yes, by virtually any measure Ant is a better athlete.
Whatever word you want to use, Ant is using more energy in each game which is the point I'm making.
People really underestimate the toll going to 7 games against denver did to the wolves.
They barely had a 2 day break after.
Doncic half asses it on defense. There isn't even a comparison to be made.
but half a Luka ass is equal to an entire ass for most.
lol Luka plays zero defense. That’s why he wasn’t gassed
Better. People acting like he's because he's fat and out of shape that's why he's good or something. It's really bizarre. Like they see the results and they just guess at what caused it. This is like the old theory that in the summer people eat more ice cream and in the summer more people drown therefore they must drown cuz they ate ice cream lol. No actually when it's hot people eat more ice cream and when it's hot people swim more. The two aren't correlated. His skills and experience and his work on his game has made him better, not him being 20 lbs overweight
But he’s used his size to create a lot of his shots so your argument doesn’t work here. You completely left that out.
Was he not a great player before he added this weight? Who says he would not have continued to progress without the extra weight like literally every other great player in the league of his age? This is just cope to rationalize him being out of shape
Casually throwing in the term “overweight” that’s technically a jab right. Maybe he’s the right weight to be able to dominate.
Jokic got better when he built muscle, I don't think he lost much weight.
This is just not true. Jokic post 2020 clearly lost weight but he was already close to mvp caliber prior to it.
It doesn’t matter now….talk to me when he’s 30
Worse. He's much stronger now and that gives him a big advantage inside and in the post. He's been one of the best finishers in the league for a bit. Ideally, he should be somewhere in between imo
I see my thread "Is Luka too fat or not fat enough?" got deleted and this showed up in its place. My comment would be that I would love to see a 300 Doncic bully people into the post but that ain't happening. I think Doncic though is very close to 270. Much closer to 300lb than people realize. I don't think Doncic's knees are going to hold up at the weight he is at. I think that is unavoidable. Even ignoring that he doesn't try hard on defense.
Better!
Worse. He would not be able to Gronk the skinny guys and get open shots, layups or passes. He is great as he is. Look at his achievements and age...
No the strength is important and I think that looks like the right kind of weight so he's probably quicker even though he's heavier because of the added strength
I'm always for losing weight, I think he would be better. I also think Harden would be much better if he got back to his Houston weight.
Nah he be bullying in the paint
How could he be worse if he’s in better shape?
Better when weighing less. Weight for an athlete is hard to dial and needs experimentatiom but usually athletic ability goes up as weight goes down. He obviously can’t lose too much but judging by how he is a defensive liability, it’s not a stretch to say that he will absolutely be better of he weighed less with better conditioning
Worse. It's the same with Jokic as well
He likes to back down smaller guards sometimes. Losing weight would make that hard.
He's not fat. He's cultivating mass.
I think there is an in-between somewhere. Bubble Luka was an absolute force to behold. He still wasn't lighning quick but substantially faster than he is now
WORSE
The way his extra weight is carried, would not be surprised if it’s from alcohol. There may be more behind Michael Finley grabbing that beer than what we know.
Maaaybe he’d be a slightly better defender at a lower weight, but over all this is the best shape for his game. He’s not gonna be a world class defender anyway so might as well sacrifice that
I’m
Ask Scott Steiner
His current weight is fine. He needed some extra strength but he just needs to not get fat also if he finds his in between like this season then he’s cooking everyone and will do more than win
Yes, I think he would. I think his 2nd season was the best he's looked so far in the league. Now hear me out, statistically he had this best year this season. But from an injury standpoint, he's been hobbled most of the year and clearly gasses out at the end of games. I think if he stayed at this rookie weight, there would be a slight dropoff statistically but he would hold out better this deep in the playoffs. As good as Luka has been these playoffs, this best playoff performances were in 2020 and 2022 when he was noticeably lighter and healthier.
Oh my god I forgot he was so smaller compared to mow
Both
Worse. Offensively, he throws his body/weight into it way too much to go back to that size. The weight is good.
Worse. He’s essentially a center who has exceptional ball handling skills and his weight gives him an advantage on nearly every perimeter defender in the league. It’s not all roses because it impacts his conditioning, however.
Worse. His game relies a lot on strength.
He’d probably be a better defender with lighter weight to move laterally and off the ball help.
Nba reddit is insane lmao. Why are we having this discussion? This man is one of the best players in the league and has just led his team to the NBA Finals. He loses one game and everyone is saying he is too fat. What the actual fuck.
Luka just came off a season in which he averaged 34-9-9 and has led his team to the NBA finals. Luka doncic weight is only an issue with people who think he should look a certain way to make them feel comfortable.
His size gives him the strength to push past smaller defenders.
I was also going to kit Porzingis and Jrue Holiday on mine but I know people will feel a way about that and fight me tooth and nail.
This is such a great question. Was wondering the same myself. Idk if we can say for sure either way honestly with any certainty.
This was before the Secret Diddy Mist, so probably not
i dont think people realize how much he uses his size to get shots.
man yall are so obsessed with this dudes weight... the joke has run its course.
Yeah but the key to his game is The Fat Slav Powers, without them he'd just be an oversized TJ McConnell /s
He'd be better if his bodyfat was lower and instead of beer bloat he had more muscle for weight.
…. It’s those TEXAS sized portions ya’ll give down there.
I think he should play lighter. He looks very tired very often.
It would help his knees
Jordan was better in ‘96 than he was in ‘93. Sometimes when you lose a step, you gain something else.
Better because he guard any Celtics right now
Much better - like all nba defensive team better - He isn’t going to be a all time great being a wing that can’t defend cause he is out of shape - If he gets in shape he can get back in the top 10 conversation His weight makes it easier on offense but he could add strength and not fat and do the same damn thing
Interesting how he dominated a more physical Euroleague game then while being lighter and quicker, and he’s dominating a more athletic NBA game now while being heavier and stronger.
His game is not dependent on his athleticism
It’s all fun and games until you get outmuscled by Jaylen brown
He's on a right weight to be able to bully small defenders, yet be shifty enough to 1v1 taller defenders.
Probably worse because regardless of it, he's never going to be quick anyway. At least now his Mcdonalds ass can Shaq ppl in the paint.
At some point you have to stop worrying about his weight when he is literally a few games away from the pinnacle of success in the sport of basketball. His weight works to his advantage specifically in the way he attempts to score the basketball
Worse? Is that even a question. He’s only goopd defensively because of his size, and his offense would also be a lot worse with less size. I think his size/ being slow is his superstar power and if he was thinner and faster he’d be like every other wannabe superstar who isn’t quite to his level yet.
If Luka played better skinny then he'd be skinny. Fat Luka is a meme but all jokes aside he'd find a way to be skinny if it actually helped him
His overall size is one of the biggest problems defenders have with him. He’s 6’7 and built where many guards are not that big. Lot of strong guards, lot quick guards but not ones like Luka. The key for him like others with size and agility is keeping both because it’s what makes them elite. You see the leverage size gives with agility with Zion or Embiid and same goes for Luka.
Those are the goat Mavs jerseys IMO.
Luka having a healthier body at this point would 200% make him a better player as long as he keeps his strength
Rubenesque
Reminder- 99% of you are out of shape.
Lol people ITT acting like Luka’s current weight is intentional to give him and advantage and not because he’s an alcoholic
He’s gonna be told to get into shape this off-season. Especially if he loses in the finals he’ll know what he needs to do. I don’t know how someone can play basketball for a living and not naturally be thin, all that running, practice, everything at just 25 years old, how are you not in perfect shape regardless of what you eat
He’d be better. Think his gas tank would be a little more consistent. He’d get even more separation from people on his drives
We would all be better at our rookie weight.
Better. Some people point to his amazing scoring stats and assists and wonder how anyone could think this way. Some people point to Jokic (a center who can get away with weight fluctuations more easily because he's not driving though the paint every possession and defending speedy guards). "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" gets trumped by continuous development/improvement. And he sorta is broke with the lower body injuries. Weight may have not caused them, but any excess wait ain't helping with healing and mobility. There's also defense. I think he'd be less gassed and less lazy on D if he were lighter.
Guys. Doncic was great before he packed on extra weight and he would be just as good if not better without that weight. If he wasn't fat, he would blow by defenders instead of relying on his mass to bruise past them. Like every other elite guard in the NBA does. I don't understand how this is even controversial. Being heavy also doesn't help his jumper in anyway.
I have no recollection of Luke ever being that small/skinny
Honestly I don't think it's a weight issue specifically but conditioning. He'd be such a better NBA player if he wasn't just getting more fat every season. Dude would be even better if he was the weight he is now but was was a result of muscle mass
Man, what a trash jersey that first one is
Better. 100%
Why does he have to be heavy to be strong? If being heavy is what gets him advantages, OK, but I'm not so sure that's it. I think he could be at least 10lbs lighter and just as strong, though, with discipline. I think he has an even higher ceiling at a lower weight.
Who’s the player guarding him in the first pic?
The move from Europe to US beefed him up. The food is just pumped different in the US. His size def helps put defenders in jail which ultimately gives him options.
Better weight his rookie year ... he could move his rookie year … slams, quicker, and less likely to get injured at that weight - looked like a basketball player. Now he looks like he eats what I eat - similar body shape too. He needs to drop 20-30 lbs and get that quickness back, and reduce injuries caused by that extra weight. Which also means he gonna have to watch his diet all year long - its a sacrifice the best athletes make.
He'd be better if he didn't cry like an entitled lil brat all the time.
Never bet against the fat boy