The February trade shook the NBA world, but there was one exception. The LA Lakers sold the championship dream to the purple and gold fans, but who knew that, within 3 months, the dream would fall flat? The Lakers’ defeat in the first round of the playoffs has shed the spotlight on several issues. Luka Doncic has been quite candid about his thoughts on the matter, admitting the need to improve their game. Again, just recently, a former NBA player snubbed him from his prestigious list, citing one deep issue as the reason. Speaking of the Slovenian player, when he joined the league, he was quite fit, sharp, and fast. However, the chatter about his weight issues is still ongoing, even though the Lakers star has continued to deliver powerful performances!

Though Luka Doncic was a generational talent and long considered Dallas home, one unspoken reason behind his departure was his fitness. Behind the dazzling step-backs and triple-doubles, there were growing concerns about his conditioning and long-term durability. As playoff runs fell short and Luka’s form wavered late in games, the front office began to weigh the cost. Eventually, talent alone couldn’t silence the whispers. Dallas made the bold move, parting ways with their star before his brilliance became a burden. And again, picking from the same point, one former player aired his opinion.

In a recent episode of The Dan Patrick Show, a former NBA player was quite clear as he voiced his opinion on Doncic. When the host asked about whether Doncic was on the list of the top five, former NBA player Jim Jackson said, “No, he never was.” When probed further, he suggested, “I love Luca but I went back and looked at some film of Luca when he first got in the league and how slim Luca was and how quick his first step was how dedicated he was to getting well he’s he’s a dedicated player but his defensive level has dropped off and that hurts because he compromises,” he said.

He further added how Doncic might be able to change the entire trajectory of the game if only he starts putting in effort on the defensive end and suggested that getting more fit can help make the 5X NBA All-Star unstoppable. “(If) he drops 10-15 pounds and gets back to that and dedicates himself with a little bit more. Add a little bit more on the defensive end, I mean it’s unbelievable what he can do on the court,” he added. 

The Slovenian player’s trade to the Lakers was sudden and unexpected. However, the Lakers’ star has indeed moved mountains to lead the team so far. Moreover, now that Doncic is in Los Angeles, it is expected that he might start adopting the strict physical conditioning regimen that LeBron James himself prefers. Would that make a change? 

Luka Doncic opens up about his opinion after the playoff defeat 

Acquiring the Slovenian player was meant to help the Lakers make an extended playoff run. Doncic was able to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves last year with the Mavericks. However, that didn’t happen for the Los Angeles Lakers this year. The Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed a 103-96 win over the Lakers in Game 5 of the first-round series to hand the LA side a 4-1 ticket to exit. 

Moreover, the 26-year-old has admitted that the Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards played with more power and strategy than last year. “I didn’t play the way I should. The team didn’t play the way we could. But congratulations to Minnesota, they played a hell of a series. They were the better team, obviously,” the 2018 EuroLeague champion said.

He admitted his underwhelming performance in the series, emphasizing that both he and his teammates must improve during the offseason to avoid a repeat of what happened this year. “There’s obviously a lot of different things we can do, I can do. Obviously everybody has got to get better. We’re gonna have a long summer and should focus on how we can improve as a team, as individuals,” he added. 

For the Lakers, acquiring Luka Doncic was supposed to ignite a new era—one driven by star power and postseason ambition. Instead, their playoff dreams unraveled in the first round, leaving a fanbase stunned and a franchise searching for answers. Doncic, honest in defeat, didn’t hide behind stats or status. He owned the moment, acknowledging his shortcomings and the team’s collective failure. Now, as a long summer looms, the question isn’t just about what went wrong, but how Luka and the Lakers will rise from it.