“Can be in the best shape of his life at the end” - Rachel Nichols lists three areas where Luka Doncic needs to improve

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Even though Luka Doncic has been averaging a stellar 29.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks finding themselves in a 3-0 hole has only brought more attention to the areas where the Slovenian star needs to improve.

There is no doubt that Doncic has the ability to make a game-winning impact when in possession of the ball, but Rachel Nichols recently emphasized the three off-the-ball aspects he needs to work on to attain ultimate glory.

"It's a wake-up call and if it’s not, then he really has a big problem because there is a couple of easy areas for him to just elevate his already incredibly elite game," Nichols said. "Obviously, the talking to the officials… get back on defense. Get in the kind of shape where he can be in the best shape of his life at the end of a very long season."

Does Rachel Nichols’ assertion hold merit?

While the modern-day NBA has shown that a player doesn’t need to have the strongest or leanest build to match the fast-paced style, with stars like Nikola Jokic not having the ‘ideal’ shape but still being the most influential star, it seems like Doncic, himself, is not too concerned with this aspect. Especially considering how he played 70 games in the regular season for the first time in five years, and during the playoffs, he upped his minutes from 37.5 to 41.2 per game.

However, Rachel does make a valid point about Luka needing to stop complaining to the refs after every possession. In Game 3 of the Finals, the 6’7” guard appeared to be more concerned about voicing his concerns to the officials rather than making his way back to the defensive end, leaving his teammates outnumbered and vulnerable to concede a 3-pointer.

Even Brian Windhorst mentioned that Doncic’s teammates and coaches were ‘begging’ him not to do so throughout the game.

Doncic’s biggest shortcoming has been in the fourth quarter

The most significant shortcoming of Doncic that Nichols failed to list is his fourth-quarter woes. Given his responsibility to steer the team to victories by being an offensive firepower, ‘The Matador’ can’t afford to disappear time and again in the last 12 minutes.

So far in the 2024 NBA Finals, he has only scored eight points in the fourth quarter in all three games combined, shooting merely 20% from the field, including missing all of his 3-point attempts.

That being said, interestingly, though, he still has a plus/minus of six, showing his presence helps the team. But if Dallas wants to fully utilize him, his scoring needs to show up now more than ever.