HALLELUKA: Luka Clinches All-NBA 1st team. 4th in 5 years

[mavsluvr]

Luka's been rehabbing his ankle/knee for over a week now. 

Has anyone even seen him? IDK if any board members make it over to the team facility (ML's rumored ID not withstanding) but I was wondering if they were getting him some pool time or bike time to burn off a few pounds and keep his conditioning up. Anyone making sure he's not having beers and Kolaches for breakfast everyday? Are they keeping him out of the reporters hot dog room at the arena?

In respect to your comments, there was an article in the last few days on how teams approach dealing with players who show up out of shape. 


A brief summary --

Get on the same page. A player could be meeting his weight target, but his percentage of body fat could still be too high, or management may think his weight target should be lowered. Or some players exceed their weight targets, but if the team can't show an adverse effect on performance, some executives won't make an issue of it. The point is, mixed messages from management/coaches and the training staff can be very upsetting to players. 

Why is the player out of shape? Is he hurt? Fatigued? Depressed? Lazy? Dealing with personal issues? The reason should provide clues as to the desired action.

Who talks to the player? A longstanding proven veteran, particularly one who has dealt with the problem, is often a good choice. If such a person isn't available, a member of the coaching staff might do it. If there is a concern about ratcheting up the tension between the player and the coach, maybe the training staff does the sit-down. If necessary, the GM and/or team president might get involved. Basically, whoever has enough gravitas to convince the player it's serious, and enough people skills/relationship status not to leave the player hurt and angry. 

How does the team help the player? There are a number of options. 

Incentives. Particularly for younger players, incentives to hit or maintain certain conditioning goals may be included in their contracts. Many teams conduct voluntary offseason training/conditioning programs and pay bonuses to players for completing them. 

Nutrition. Some teams will provide a nutritionist or chef to assist the player in maintaining a healthy diet, or encourage the player to hire such personnel himself. Some teams will prepare healthy take-out meals for the player to take home. 

Mental health assistance. Some out-of-shape players are struggling with depression, for example. The team can assist the player with resources to alleviate the problem. 

Misconceptions. Fans tend to think there are no justifiable reasons for a player to be out of shape, and assume that the only cause must be that the player is not trying. In reality, they would probably be surprised to find out how hard both the player and the team are trying in such situations. 

Weight problems are just hard. Some guys are genetically predisposed to carrying extra weight. Some are hurt. Some are depressed. Someone may have a deep-seated psychological problem related to weight. Think how hard it is for the average person to lose even a few pounds. The fact that athletes are paid well doesn't make it any easier for them to refrain from eating much of anything they like than for anyone else. 

Ultimately, it has to be on the player. Having said all of the above, other people can only do so much. At the end of the day, the player has to take responsibility for making it happen. 

https://hoopshype.com/lists/how-nba-exec...t-players/


In regard to your question about Luka sitting around beer and kolaches, if Luka insists on doing that, I don't think there is anything the team can do to stop him. But I don't think we have any reports that he is taking that attitude.