ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith criticized Luka Doncic after the NBA Finals.
The First Take sportscaster praised the Dallas Mavericks star for his conditioning during the series loss to the Boston Celtics.
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Doncic scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Mavs’ 106-88 loss at TD Garden.
He led the playoffs in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and three-point shots.
The Slovenian appeared on Dallas’ medical report in every game of the final series.
And Stephen A. doesn’t believe he’ll win a coveted NBA ring until he addresses his conditioning.
“If you had deficiencies because it was just something you needed to improve, that’s okay,” Stephen A. told the First Take panel.
“What will live with Luka is that his conditioning played a huge role in hindering the Mavericks’ progress.
“He is elite, he is a superstar, make no mistake.
“But when we look at conditioning, the need to be in better shape, that was something that was noticed in the NBA Finals.”
Stephen A. used the example of 39-year-old LeBron James as a player who is “always in shape.”
He added that it was an “indictment against Luka” that his physical condition played a role in the Dallas series loss.
“You have to have it. You need to have that conditioning,” she added.
“Luka Doncic was completely gassed. Zero effort, a huge defensive disadvantage,” wrote a fan on X.
“Please, no more talk about Doncic being the ‘best player in the world.’ He shot 24 percent on 3s and the Celtics feasted on his ultra-lazy defense and lack of conditioning,” said another.
“Luka just took the team to the NBA Finals and he’s criticizing them? Hey, Stephen A., you’re damaging your own credibility here,” countered a third.
Doncic has battled nagging injuries throughout the series but has played in all five games.
First look at the numbers
First Take has grown from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim over the past year.
ESPN’s weekday debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 – making it the most-watched year in the program’s history.
Its December average of 611,000 represented a 24% annual increase compared to 2022.
The show has also recorded more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.
“It doesn’t matter if I got hurt, or how much I got hurt,” the Slovenian told reporters after Monday’s loss.
“I was there. I tried to play. I didn’t do enough.”
Smith’s speech wasn’t the first time an ESPN analyst has criticized Doncic for his defensive ability in recent days.
After Game 3, NBA Insider Brian Windhorst didn’t hold back after Luka was fouled in the fourth quarter.
“His defensive performance is unacceptable. He’s a hole in the court,” Windhorst told SportsCenter.
“[The Celtics] They’re ahead in this series because they attacked him defensively.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
