Kendrick Perkins is picking 'skinny Luka' Doncic to win NBA MVP
Gone is the layer of blubber that enveloped his body over the last few years and hindered his efforts to get back on defense and stay in front of his man on that end of the floor. Now, his muscles are defined, and it is exciting news for Lakers fans and a nightmare in the making for the rest of the NBA.
ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins gave Doncic credit for transforming his body and taking all the criticism the superstar has received to heart.
'Luka and the Los Angeles Lakers, they broke through the internet today because they're one,' Perkins said. 'They're one now. You see them? We ain't looking at the chubby, fat Luka, the beer-sipping Luka. We ain't looking at medium Luka. We looking at skinny Luka. I saw his jawline. I saw veins popping out of his ears. The man is in shape. and it's going to be a problem this year for the rest of the league.'
In fact, Perkins proclaimed that the 6-foot-7 guard is his "early pick for MVP."
'The man is skinny,' Perkins added. 'By the way, he is my early pick for MVP. If we saw what we were getting out of Chubby Luka, imagine what we about to get out of damn skinny Luka. We about to get the best version of Luka Doncic.'
It remains to be seen if the Lakers will win enough games for Doncic to have a real shot at the league MVP award, an award he hasn't won. But his quality of play and performance will be the most important thing.
He already has career averages of 28.6 points on 46.8% field-goal shooting and 35% 3-point shooting, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists a game. If he was able to do that while fat, out of shape and banged up, it is scary to imagine how much better and more refined he could be while in terrific shape.
His shooting efficiency and free throw shooting have lots of room for improvement, as does his ball security, and he can play better man-to-man defense. Improving in those areas would help the Lakers get closer to championship contention.
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