“Yeah, he’s faster and jumps more. And this year, I expect him to be the best version of himself,” said Team Slovenia’s Edo Muric about Luka Doncic. After criticism about his weight and conditioning during the previous NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers star transformed during the offseason. He reportedly lost around 10 to 12 kilograms (22 to 26 pounds), which allowed him to get better on the offensive front. Amidst Muric’s remark, the only thing left for fans to create hope vis-à-vis the Slovenian was to see him dominate in action. That is what he did.

Luka Doncic’s Team Slovenia recently faced off against Team Poland. By halftime, the two teams were neck-and-neck, with Poland leading Slovenia 47-46. While Poland’s Jordan Loyd led the scoring effort with his 19 points, Luka Doncic wasn’t too far behind with his 17 points. The Lakers star was putting out impressive moves during the matchup, one of which occurred during the final minutes of the 2nd quarter. Luka dropped the ball while being guarded outside the 3-point line, but recovered quickly and then took a step-back to hit a 3-pointer. As the ball went through the hoop, a mix of cheers and boos greeted the basketball star.

Luka, in turn, did a one-handed gesture that, as highlighted by the commentators, meant “and he said ‘Calm down, Poland. Play tough defense as much as you want to. I’m gonna light it up’”.

The recent performance came days after Luka recorded 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists during the preparation game against Serbia. Prior to that, he scored 28 points in Team Slovenia’s 93-81 win over Great Britain, marking their first victory in preparation for EuroBasket 2025. 20 of those points were scored when the 5x NBA All-Star had spent just 10 minutes on the floor. According to reports, Luka was moving freely and attacking at will during the game, and had a perfect stretch at the line during the early minutes. The NBA star was dominating and didn’t break his streak even against Poland.

The 3-point move and gesture, along with Luka Doncic’s prowess, were certainly winning over the viewers. Soon, several of them descended onto social media to share their thoughts.

NBA Fans Highlight Luka Doncic’s Improvement: “clearly moving his feet way faster”

One social media user wrote, “Luka is clearly moving his feet way faster”.

Luka Doncic himself admitted, during a recent press conference, that he feels that his on-court speed has improved. When discussing how he feels now vs before his transformation, Luka said, “Honestly, nothing different. Just probably less tired, a little bit quicker. Nothing specific. At the end of the day, I want to win games and help my team achieve more.” This update is reportedly good news for JJ Redick, since a reporter had previously blamed the Lakers players’ inability “to execute down the stretch” as a reason for the loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs.

One individual wrote, “Dude looks crazy slimmer”.

According to ‘Men’s Health’, Luka Doncic underwent an intense conditioning plan throughout the summer. He slogged through workouts while adhering to a gluten-free, low-sugar diet that included at least 250 grams of protein and one almond milk–fueled shake a day. Luka even formed a fitness team to help him enhance and help him commit to training and diet during the summer.

One social media user wrote, “Lakers fans must be pumped, he looks really good.”

While we can’t say it for all fans, we can state that the Slovenian has won over Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss. The two Lakers executives had travelled to Europe, along with a part of a contingent of Lakers staff that also reportedly included Kurt, Linda Rambis, and Dr. Leroy Sims, etc, to see the Slovenian in action. After seeing Luka Doncic in practice, Rob Pelinka gave out praise by stating, “He’s in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer. And to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to be with him”.

One individual wrote, “He’s clearly moving better BUT this isn’t nba competition unfortunately so let’s wait and see”. Darvin Ham said it best when talking about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s usage. The Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach had discussed Team Greece by saying, “it’s more team-oriented, more sets and all of that here is different. We don’t, they don’t play as fast as we do in the NBA”.

One social media user said that “This clip ALONE is better than any Steph defensive highlight”. Well, one can claim that this opinion is subject to debate.

Overall, the majority of reactions showed fans being united in sending praise to Luka Doncic. However, just like that one netizen said, it remains to be seen whether the Slovenian displays the same prowess during the 2025-26 NBA season.