The Lakeshow Review

Luka’s dedication to his physical fitness this summer has been no secret. We’ve heard the reports all offseason regarding his workouts, his diet plan as well as his overall commitment to getting in the best possible physical shape. The hard work is clearly showing, as Luka’s looked great during the 2025 EuroBasket exhibition games thus far. He was particularly dominant in his last game against Great Britain, where he tallied a stat line of 28 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists in 28 minutes, en route to a 93-81 victory. Luka clearly has listened to the critiques slung his way, and is determined to prove this season that he’s one of the best and brightest stars in basketball. But despite Luka’s progress, and newfound outlook on his physique, Lakers’ assistant coach Greg St. Jean believes that there’s still room for improvements.

St. Jean has known Luka for a bit, having worked with the Slovenian star dating back to his days with the Dallas Mavericks. When speaking to Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews, the Lakers’ assistant had the following to say:

“I think it’s still a work in progress, I think the summer’s not over yet. And he’s going to continue to get better. I think we’ll continue to see as he gets more in-game shape with some rhythm.”

“He’s been doing a lot of training, and now he’s going to be playing five-on-five competition. His game last week was the first time he’s played five-on-five in a long time.

“So it’s a work in progress. We’ll continue to see him play more and more, and as the tournament progresses, and then getting ready for the Lakers season”.

This is a very important statement, in my opinion. It shows that Luka is deeply committed to having a great showing for his team this season. It also shows that he’s still trying to improve his conditioning, and doesn’t view his current state as a finished product. He’s obviously been paying attention to the murmurs and comments made regarding his conditioning and overall commitment to his game. Luka has in turn made this summer all about showing what type of player he is. Being that he’s a great competitor, he isn’t pleased with the negative chatter and is determined to show the naysayers why they’re wrong about him. Can’t ask for anything more if you’re the Lakers, or Lakers fans. A pissed off and motivated Luka is the best Luka.

It’s a good thing that Luka’s phycial progress has been reinforced by the game film. It’s been great to see him with his native Slovenia these last couple of weeks, where his game has looked razor-sharp, recalling flashes of some of his better years with the Mavs. There’s a crispness to his movements on the court, and his footwork certainly looks better than it did last season, which dropping weight can certainly accomplish. It’d be quite the sight to see an even slimmer and conditioned Luka at training camp in October versus where he is currently at. It would also show the basketball world that he is motivated to come back next year and perform at the highest possible level, possibly vying for legitimate MVP considerations. Luka knows he is a Laker now and that comes with certain responsibilities. Among those is being the face of the franchise on a platform with such a global visibility.

Like all the Lakers greats before him, he understands the task and wants to shine in that spotlight. If he brings this same attitude into 2025-26, there is no reason why he can’t own that spotlight in a way that will elevate both his brand and the organization’s. So far Luka has made all the right decisions when it comes to being LAs new face of the organization. He’s kept quiet, kept his head down and worked to get better at his craft. He was already a great player last season, but he clearly isn’t satisfied with that. We can only hope that his type of motivation permeates through the season and through the locker room, as it’s the star player’s job to always lead by example. Until then, let’s hope Luka continues showing out on the international stage and continues making progress on his offseason. Go Lakers.