(12-07-2021, 01:46 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: mavsluvr. If the team or FO is indeed telling him that there is no issue with his weight, then they are enabling him. All of us saw he was out of shape to begin the season last year and this. That is not shaming someone. That is a minimum expectation from even someone decorating the end of the bench let alone someone who is a franchise player on a max contract. If you feel that is shaming or no concern, we just disagree on that. No probs.
There has to be some balance between the weight that Luka is comfortable playing at and being in shape. No one is asking him to be cut or skinny.
Back to the topic of defense, while Luka has to do his part, the coaching staff has to find schemes that protect their stars as much as possible. No disagreements there.
Okay. Regarding Luka and his conditioning, I think we should all listen carefully to what we are being told.
Which is -- The Mavs know that Luka is not in peak condition. They are working with him on diet and exercise to get him where he needs to be. He is playing himself into shape, as he usually does, and is progressing as usual. He is able to play all his minutes without getting out of breath, even when he is not in peak condition. They think he and they are on the right track, that he will be in peak shape in due time, and that imposing sanctions on him at this point is not going to accomplish anything, and it might make things worse.
What is it, exactly, that we want them to do that they aren't doing? Help me understand that.
One thing I do see being proposed is more a matter of training strategy than conditioning. There are fans who think the team would benefit substantially if Luka lost a lot of weight. He would be faster and more agile. The Mavs think he would also be smaller and weaker. And that being super-fast and agile are not critical parts of his game, but being big and strong and able to play a power game are.
Let's say the Mavs decide they are wrong, and they reverse course. They send Luka off to Fat Man's Camp, and he comes back thirty pounds lighter. He starts playing again. The role players are still bricking threes. Dwight Powell still can't protect the rim. Kidd is still running a system the players can't execute. Brunson hasn't grown any taller. Willie is still erratic and unpredictable. The roster still has giant holes in the shapes of a playmaker, a mobile rim protector, and a game-changing defender. Nico still doesn't have even a season of experience as a GM. Cuban hasn't advanced his thinking any. Josh Green still hasn't been able to crack the rotation. Luka can jump 1/4" higher, and run down the floor .02 seconds faster, so the program must have worked. But they still look like the same old team.
Luka lost thirty pounds, and he still didn't solve any of those problems! Who could have predicted? Bad Luka!!
I am also willing to listen carefully to other views. Specifically, what should the Mavs and Luka be doing that they aren't? And, if Luka did lose weight, do we think that is impactful enough that it would render the organization/roster's other problems moot? If so, what causes us to think so?
Is there any chance that the Mavs are right about him getting into shape but still keeping his weight up? If not, what can be done about their getting some better advice?