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  1. From above article:

    Luka ramping up, looking great… and a little different

    Dončić added another gem to his FIBA résumé with a monster line—37 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and a block—in a win that locked Slovenia into third place in the group and set up a first-round elimination matchup with Italy.

    It hasn’t all been smooth sailing this summer. Slovenia dropped more than usual in the prep games, and Dončić looked rusty at times especially against weaker opponents like Belgium and Iceland. But as he usually does, he saved his best for the toughest competition. He torched Poland for 34 points, 9 assists, and 5 steals, followed by 39 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds against France, not to mention his head-to-head showdown with Israel.

    Luka 2.0, or slimmed down Luka, has been the talk of the summer, and watching his EuroBasket games up close it’s clear how losing 15–25 pounds has unlocked parts of his game we haven’t really seen since the bubble. We’re used to Dončić’s step-backs, pick-and-roll manipulation, and passing brilliance—as on display against Israel—and those very things made him the NBA’s leading scorer in 2024, the year he carried the Mavericks to the Finals. The new, or maybe better improved, part we see with slimmer Luka is the extra burst of energy, agility, and speed. FIBA isn’t as open with film breakdowns as the NBA, but if you watch Luka’s most recent highlight reel, you’ll see exactly what I mean.

    Pushing the break at full speed has been one of the most noticeable differences, and you can see it at the 0:53, 1:07, 1:37, and 5:20 marks in the video above. Splitting double teams and getting to the rim is where his improved agility and fluidity have really shown throughout this tournament (see 3:30 mark).

    Dončić has also been very engaged and active defensively. Against Israel, we even saw him as an effective weakside help defender, contesting vertically at the rim. The Slovenian 26-year-old leading EuroBasket in scoring at 32.4 points per game is no surprise—but him also ranking first in steals at 3.2 is definitely notable.

    And for Lakers fans wanting a glimpse of how the pick-and-roll with Deandre Ayton might look, check out this ridiculous on-target pass at the 4:07 mark.

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