Luka Doncic was already enough of a problem for the NBA. But after what he showed in Slovenia this month, ESPN’s Insiders believes there could be another problem for the rest of the league.
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Doncic looked noticeably leaner during the Lakers’ player-organized minicamp in Slovenia, where the team spent five days together from August 20 to 24. The change quickly became a talking point after the Lakers shared workout footage from the trip.
The question of what Doncic can do as a scorer has become even more relevant with LeBron James no longer in Los Angeles. “Okay, so Luka’s won it twice. Luka won in ’24, and again, he won it two of the last three years, ’24 and ’26,” MacMahon said on The Hoop Collective. Windhorst agreed that with James gone, “Luka will be scoring again like he did when he was in Dallas,” before MacMahon pointed out that Doncic “averaged 33.5 points per game last year.”
MacMahon then laid out why Doncic is so difficult to defend. “When Luka is hitting his step-back three, there’s not an answer,” he said. “And the answer then is to try to get the ball out of his hands. And obviously, we all know he’s one of, if not the best, passer in the league as well.” He then delivered his assessment of Doncic’s current condition: “And I’m just telling you, man, the condition that Luka appears to be in, it’s got a chance to be pretty scary.”
Windhorst explained what makes the change particularly interesting. “Well, the thing that Luka does so incredibly well is change speed,” he said. “He goes fast—faster than you think he’s going to go—and he has the ability to slow down in ways that he takes advantage of against his opponents. He has as good of brakes as anybody in the league.”
MacMahon added that Doncic’s movement profile had similarities to James Harden’s in P3 testing when he entered the league, pointing to the combination of the threat of the drive and the ability to create space for the step-back.
“But then Luka has that lean. Luka still weighs probably 240,” MacMahon said. Windhorst responded, “He’s just skinny.”
Lakers footage from the trip showed a noticeably leaner Doncic, with coverage describing him as among the slimmest versions of himself in recent years. There is no verified figure for how much weight he has lost this offseason, and his official listed weight remains 230 pounds.
Gilbert Arenas had a similar reaction to the footage.
“That’s Luka! Y’all in trouble. Laker nation, that leading scorer trophy, is gonna be ours. … If the fat one averaged 32, 33. What you think the skinny one about to average with no LeBron James?” Arenas said.
The scoring title did not translate into the MVP award, however, as Doncic finished fourth with no first-place votes. His season also ended early after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on April 2, ruling him out for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.
James’ departure has changed the offensive hierarchy in Los Angeles. Doncic is now the clear primary creator and leader of the Lakers, with Austin Reaves remaining alongside him and Jaden Hardy joining the backcourt after previously playing with Doncic in Dallas.
The physical change does not automatically mean Doncic will be faster or more durable. But it is relevant to a game built around sudden changes of pace, hard stops and creating space for his step-back. That is why the combination has caught the attention of people around the league.
There is no evidence yet that the leaner Doncic will be faster, more durable or more efficient. But if he can maintain his strength and conditioning, the potential is clear: the Lakers are giving a player who already averaged 33.5 points per game an even larger offensive role.
Whether the physical change makes Doncic better remains to be seen. But with LeBron James gone, he will have even more of the Lakers’ offense in his hands after already winning the scoring title with 33.5 points per game. For the rest of the NBA, though, that may be the uncomfortable part: Luka was already a problem before this version of him showed up.