08-19-2024, 11:11 PM
(08-19-2024, 10:29 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Alcohol and its effects on the body are severe enough that any high level serious athlete should never consume it, let alone in the middle of a playoff run where the final goal is on the horizon.
And that's before even broaching the optics of it, given that one of the biggest critique's of Luka has been his conditioning and he's seen downing a beer.
Of course, I don't buy into the optics side of it. Does it really matter that he had a beer (or two?) after the WCF? No. Jordan smoked cigars and pulled all nighters before games. Larry Bird drank beer the entire regular season but only stopped during the playoffs.
Luka deserved that beer with his dad after clinching a finals berth. But it is also true that Luka clearly had several nagging injuries during the playoffs that one has to wonder if he took his conditioning/recovery/diet a bit more seriously would he already have his 1st ring by now?
I give Luka all the credit for battling through his injuries. I will never question his competitive drive or want to be out there so don't take my words as me saying the opposite.
Come on man, Luka took his diet and conditioning/recovery/diet way more seriously than mark did putting a long-term winning team around Luka. mark let Brunson walk, then had to pay assets to bring in Kyrie. This team was on the treadmill to mediocrity whether it was coaching, GM, or payroll as long as mark was running it...
Now it LOOKS to be that mark got 2 things right in Nico and Kidd, but even then he held them back by certain decisions (or lack of). There appears to be hope in this direction. (crosses finger emoji)
Here is hoping that Luka is able to come into this season rested (crazy to think that about a player making his first finals appearance) and ready/beginning to get into shape sooner than he has been able to due to a LACK of team Slovenia commitments this summer. (prayer emoji)
So yes there is some pressure on Luka this year, because for the first time in recent days the team appears to be better assembled going into a season than in any other for Luka's career.