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Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
More than two weeks after the Lakers’ elimination in the first round of the playoffs, the Luka Doncic case remains divisive within the NBA community. Kevin Garnett recently got involved in the debate and took a clear stand.
Having arrived during the season, he could have benefited from a certain leniency on the part of observers. But in the end, that was not to be. Luka Doncic was judged like any other Lakers player during the playoffs, and that didn’t exactly turn out to be good news for him. He was widely criticized after his franchise’s premature elimination, notably for his lack of defensive effort.
It would appear that this questioning of the Slovenian and his performance has also taken place… internally. His coach, JJ Redick, was quick to make a viral comment about his physical condition, allegedly unworthy of a title contender. Since then, the subject has continued to cause a stir on the NBA planet, prompting reactions from influential figures in the game.
Luka Doncic targeted by the Lakers, Kevin Garnett takes exception
Announced at around 105kg by the NBA, Doncic could have been transferred by the Mavericks due to his weight concerns. The Lakers, for their part, clearly have the same concerns and made a recent move potentially linked to this issue. However, according to Kevin Garnett, Luka has no reason to change physically. He declares on his KG Certified podcast:
Kevin Garnett: Luka must have been like, “Man, I kick ass in the NBA smoking hookah and drinking beer after every game. What more do you want from me? You want me to do a quadruple-double? You want me to come back with a bunch of muscles? Look at my guy in Denver (Nikola Jokic), he’s got no muscles and have you seen what he does? I’m destroying the rest of the league too. I’m one of the top 5 players.”
Good enough as it is according to Garnett, the neo-Laker would do better to ignore the critics and stay true to himself:
Kevin Garnett: I don’t think Luka’s going to change. He is who he is. He came to the NBA without playing at a high or slow pace. His speed is good, it allows him to perform. He knows very well what he’s doing. Plus, he’s probably one of the five best backs in the league. I know everyone wants to play fast like Golden State and all, but some players don’t fit into that philosophy of play.
It remains to be seen whether JJ Redick, who seems to be very concerned about the fitness of his players, will offer him such a pass.
