"Not everything is jumping high": Luka Doncic gets brutally honest on athletic traits, claims vertical could be higher than rookie year

Luka Doncic's drastic physical transformation could lead to many changes in the LA Lakers superstar's game. While Doncic has never been considered the most athletic NBA player in the room, he had a significantly more explosive rookie year, highlighted by his quickness and dunking ability.

As he's grown older, his rim-running blow-bys have reduced. However, we may get to see that again. With Doncic committing to a strict regimen this offseason to work on his fitness and conditioning, the five-time NBA All-Star believes he may have a higher vertical reach than his rookie year. Doncic had a 42-inch recorded vertical in 2019.

However, Doncic doesn't only lean on that. While working on getting slimmer and quicker this offseason, Doncic maintained his ability to stay balanced and hit the brakes when needed. Here's what he said about his offseason workout on these aspects in an interview with Men's Health:

"Not everything is jumping high. I think I’m very athletic in other stuff. Balancing, controlling my body, what I do when I stop, slowing down."

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

He spoke about his 42-inch vertical in his rookie year and the comparison right now:

"This year, we didn’t measure the jumping yet. But I think it’s a little bit higher."

Luka Doncic is already equipped with a tremendous skillset on the perimeter and in the post. However, if his workouts allow him to move like he did in his rookie year and get to the rim at will, his opponents will have a lot to worry about this upcoming season.

Also read: "Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better": Luka Doncic shares true feelings on revamped conditioning for second Lakers' season

Edited by Arhaan Raje