Thoughts on this reddit post about Luka's athletic regression?

[CobraCommander]

Hurt young people become hurt old people

Fat young people normally become fatter old people

Luka is playing about the same as a 40 year old lebron-

Luka’s avg before he got hurt about the same post injury- look it up

If he is hurt- it started before the PS last year - this goes back the whole Ps and this whole reg season-

If he is really hurt it may help to shut it down and get right before the playoffs and before his contract is renewed -

The league ain’t loyal - if Luka is indeed trying to play through injury for the team and the love of the game and it hurts him long term- he is crazy - he just learned that these teams ain’t loyal and will toss you away in a instant.

Get healthy and take care of yourself first and the team second honestly-

For as much objective criticism I give him- I think he has been hurt since before the start of the post season last year and hasn’t been himself for extended periods of time - and the Mavs think this is a result of his work habits and off the court training- both of these things can be true - but we can’t lie this is a very down year - he is 27-8 and 8 and Tatum and LeBron playing at that level too -

[Marvin Martian]

Luka started looking unathletic in 22/23 season and was more unathletic last year, his best and most dominant year in the league.

I think the real question is, how good would he be if he took his conditioning and body more seriously. It's no different than Zion, these guys are incredible while being out of shape, so what would a 225-230lbs Luka be like if he dropped some fat and increased muscle mass.

Zion is still a top 5 athlete even though he is nowhere close to his college form. He just can't stay healthy.

Luka however is moving like a 35 year old at the age of 26

[AussieCeltic]

For the "Luka defense" people, this is the chart for Dallas' Individual DRTG in The Finals. The Team DRTG stats are similar.

This is why individual defensive ratings are so hard to judge.

We watched the games. The guy was a traffic cone and still is. He can’t stay in front of anyone.

[Handlez]

He does seem to always be in some sort of physical distress.

I'm a big Luka fan, but I'm a little concerned.

Seems like an old man lol.

[Jazz9]

He does seem to always be in some sort of physical distress.

I'm a big Luka fan, but I'm a little concerned.

Seems like an old man lol.

Always been like that, even in Dallas.
He's always grimacing, hobbling around at times etc

[SweaterBae]

He clearly looks hurt to me and it has nothing to do with his drive frequency but his burst on dribble moves. In his first game with LA he tried the really fast shotgun dribble move and it looked like normal Luka, and he hasn't gone back to it since. His pullback shots have been slow and when he gets into the paint, he's pump faking way too much because he doesn't trust his shot, maybe because he doesn't trust his legs? He's playing with evident tentativeness, at least to me.

That's the thing though, he always looks hurt. Every time there's a thread like this that's the sentiment.

[DaddyCool19]

He should take time off in the offseason. Maybe don't play for the national team every year? Especially this year and focus on getting healthy and leaner.

[CodeBreaker]

I had the same sentiment watching him play recently. He looks like a completely different player from what I saw in the bubble. He's not nearly as quick as he used to be.

Laker fans think they are getting a superstar for the next decade with Luka, but I think it will be the next 5 years max. Now that's still a great deal that you take every time, considering what they gave up for him. But I don't see his prime being very long. Maybe he can put it together for one offseason and come in incredible shape, leading to an MVP season capped off by a chip. But sustained excellence requires a level of discipline that I don't think Luka will ever have. I can't see him being an elite player in his 30s like Lebron/Steph/KDs of the world.

That bubble Luka was a way different player lol I just watched the highlights

[levon]

He clearly looks hurt to me and it has nothing to do with his drive frequency but his burst on dribble moves. In his first game with LA he tried the really fast shotgun dribble move and it looked like normal Luka, and he hasn't gone back to it since. His pullback shots have been slow and when he gets into the paint, he's pump faking way too much because he doesn't trust his shot, maybe because he doesn't trust his legs? He's playing with evident tentativeness, at least to me.

That's the thing though, he always looks hurt. Every time there's a thread like this that's the sentiment.

I don't think he always looks hurt with his game, if that makes sense. I think he's super performative and kind of manic, so he's always wincing between plays and using that as justification for ire towards officials or maybe as an excuse for his poor play. But he's been like that since he was young.

Now he looks like parts of his game are ineffective because he's not trusting parts of his body. I'm disinclined to think that's because he's suddenly fallen off a cliff as a whole, but rather that parts of his body are acutely banged up. And I'm basing that off the opinion that he actually looked better in his early Laker games physically, but the outcome was worse because he was totally out of rhythm.

I also don't buy that he's fat and if he just lost weight he'd be fixed. Despite being nerfed compared to last year's Luka, he's still extremely effective on the floor and has been borderline a good defender for LA too. There are really specific ways in which he seems hampered with creating separation on his shot or even trusting it. Hard for me not to attribute that to rust or localized injury or even luck.

By the way, we might be discounting how hard it is to make this transition. When LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018 off a full offseason of his own volition, he looked like a nerfed version of himself too. And then the next year he wins the title as a top 5 player in the league. It's really hard to change teams and cities and training staffs and teammates, and just keep producing at the same clip.

[LuckyGreen7]

Luka gets beaten up a lot. Kidd has talked about this. And Luka plays a power game that relies on strength. The bulk pads you on collisions and gives you more strength when you lower your shoulder to create separation. Fat Kevin Love vs Skinny Kevin Love.

Also Luka gets injured a lot because he plays a lot of minutes and he's very physical on drives. Taking more perimeter shots eases the strain on the body over the long haul.

If he needs bulk, then he should be hitting the weights hard, not the buffet line. His injuries are 90% because of fitness and 10% because of his play style.

There are guys that go hard into the paint and take contact who don't have his injury issues and these same guys still have the quickness to turn it up on D when needed. Think LeBron or Jaylen.

There is not an athletic trainer on earth that would agree with your POV.

[sashaturiaf]

Yeah I think the 25 yo who went to the finals last season looking just as "Unathletic" is fine.

I mean the 3 time reigning MVP is probably even less athletic.

[Archx]

For as much objective criticism I give him- I think he has been hurt since before the start of the post season last year and hasn’t been himself for extended periods of time - and the Mavs think this is a result of his work habits and off the court training- both of these things can be true - but we can’t lie this is a very down year - he is 27-8 and 8 and Tatum and LeBron playing at that level too -

Yeah i agree with this. Luka hasn't looked right since last playoffs. He can still go out and have these monster games but given the fact that he hasn't had a proper training since year and a half now, he doesn't look like himself.

So i think he'll just ride this season out, it's basically almost like a lost individual season for him, they'll try to push as a team as much as they can, but i don't expect any miracles from him. The trade obviously didn't do any good for his mental side as well, even though he says he's fine now, etc... it's still a huge change in such a short time for someone who grew up with a totally different mindset.

Full off season, proper training program, also properly heal injuries and getting back mentally to what he was with Mavs, i think only then we will see the player he was last season.

He already hinted that he may not play for national team and he has NEVER done that before, so it's another proof that he knows he's not the player he wants to be at this moment.

[druggas]

He'll be fine. People are scared that he'll return to last year's form.

[CobraCommander]

For as much objective criticism I give him- I think he has been hurt since before the start of the post season last year and hasn’t been himself for extended periods of time - and the Mavs think this is a result of his work habits and off the court training- both of these things can be true - but we can’t lie this is a very down year - he is 27-8 and 8 and Tatum and LeBron playing at that level too -

Yeah i agree with this. Luka hasn't looked right since last playoffs. He can still go out and have these monster games but given the fact that he hasn't had a proper training since year and a half now, he doesn't look like himself.

So i think he'll just ride this season out, it's basically almost like a lost individual season for him, they'll try to push as a team as much as they can, but i don't expect any miracles from him. The trade obviously didn't do any good for his mental side as well, even though he says he's fine now, etc... it's still a huge change in such a short time for someone who grew up with a totally different mindset.

Full off season, proper training program, also properly heal injuries and getting back mentally to what he was with Mavs, i think only then we will see the player he was last season.

He already hinted that he may not play for national team and he has NEVER done that before, so it's another proof that he knows he's not the player he wants to be at this moment.

He just learned a lesson all of us do at some point - your employer sees you as an employee. You are not family. Sacrificing yourself for your employeer rarely if ever works out for the employee. If I were Lukas dad I would ask him to shut it down and get right. I mean really right. Cause these nagging soft tissue issues are what killed Kawhis career. Yes Kawhi is still Kawhi in spurts but I bet he wished he didn’t play through injury in San Antonio. It sucks but his numbers are so far off from last RS AND he is still top 5… but he isn’t anywhere near the guy he was last year. It was more likely he would have 22 at the half than it was that he would have 22 for the game. And he just had 22 against the tanking nets…. That just doesn’t happen to Luka last RS… he can still be Luka in a moment but not for extended periods of time and we can see it - why lay it out there for the lakers?

[LuckyGreen7]

Yeah I think the 25 yo who went to the finals last season looking just as "Unathletic" is fine.

I mean the 3 time reigning MVP is probably even less athletic.

A center does not need the same athleticism as a wing. Jokic is going to get shots off / pass over and around people as well as grab rebounds that Luka can't simply because he's taller / longer.

Luka was a much better ball player when he was more athletic and less injury prone. That is a simple fact.

[rockmanslim]

Has anyone in here actually kept up with Zion this year? He came back from injury looking in the best shape since his rookie year. And this is while out for a long time with a hamstring injury. You have to wonder how he pulled that off. After struggling to shed lbs his whole career, he suddenly figures it out while nursing an immobilizing injury? If it was ozempic, well more power to him, it's not illegal. Luka should do the same because whatever he's doing with his body obviously hasn't been working.

[Knicks Byke]

Bro looks like Magic in 96'.

[gottamakeit]

Watching him struggle to get by Al Horford who’s pushing 40 every time he had him on an island was pretty concerning I gotta say

Hey! No Al Horford slander will be tolerated.

He is 38 for the record and is playing great perimeter defense lately. He locked up Shai the other night, stayed in front and took the rock from him.

[Mr B]

Was he not always more like Harden than Lebron in play style?

The problem is he’s playing like 35 year old Harden at 25.

Yes, the guy who averaged 34-9-10 last year in the RS and 29-10-8 in the PS while leading his team to the Finals is playing like 35 year old Harden.

Maybe Luka's prime is over at 26 years old. Or, and stick with me here, or he's injured/rusty from injury.

He’s still rusty after being back for a month?

[og15]

For the "Luka defense" people, this is the chart for Dallas' Individual DRTG in The Finals. The Team DRTG stats are similar.

This is why individual defensive ratings are so hard to judge.

We watched the games. The guy was a traffic cone and still is. He can’t stay in front of anyone.

I think he was better than people give him credit for, but also had rest moments that looked really bad.

Also, let's all remember that individual defensive rating makes absolutely no claim to judge how well a player defends. It's simply a stat that assumes everyone is equally as good at everything that isn't captured by defensive rebounds, stls and blks, and your individual defensive rating is your team defensive rating, then goes down (gets better) based on those three stats.

Obviously that's not actually ranking defense, it's basically saying take team defensive rating and the players with the best per minute drebs, stls and blks combo are the best defensive players on the team.

Obviously it can correlate since many times bigs will have a good combination of those stats, but the correlation is not suggesting a causation or who is actually playing the best defense.

Just a reminder for people when you see or quote individual defensive rating as a means of saying a player is good, bad, this good, this bad, etc on defense.