With the Dallas Mavericks’ season over, Luka Doncic needs to focus on his fitness

To no one’s surprise, the Dallas Mavericks’ season is officially over.

The offseason has begun following Wednesday’s 120-110 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals

The Warriors won the series 4-1 and will make their sixth trip to the NBA Finals under coach Steve Kerr in search of their fourth title since 2015.

Now, it’s time for Luka Doncic to get serious about wanting to be a superstar and wanting to lead this team to a championship by taking a more serious approach to his fitness and come into next season in better shape.

What we saw at the start of the last season and the lack of energy and effort he showed in the first half against the Warriors on Thursday can’t happen anymore.

Doncic’s potential greatness is unquestioned.

He capped an All-NBA season by being the leading scorer in the playoffs and carrying the Mavs to the conference finals, a place no one expected.

It was a simply great season by the organization as the Mavs traded Kristaps Porzingis, finished with the league’s fourth-best record and had an even better postseason, capped by a win over the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the conference semifinals.

And Dallas avoided elimination three times in the postseason, winning Games 6 and 7 against Phoenix in the second round and defeating the Warriors in Game 4.

But it only delayed the inevitable as Thursday’s outcome was expected as soon the two teams walked off the floor in Dallas on Tuesday night.

No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.

And nothing that transpired in the first four games gave a clue that the Mavs were about to make history.

Golden State was the better team. It has championship pedigree. And it’s as deep as any team of any of it’s previous title teams with an infusion of youth.

Klay Thompson, who missed the past two seasons with injuries, led six players in double figures with 32 points Thursday night.

Dallas had no chance with Doncic playing the way he did in the first two quarters Thursday night.

Instead of getting the budding star that had averaged 33.5 points in four previous close-out games in his career, the Mavs got a Doncic that was as disappointing as he was great for much of the postseason.

It wasn’t just that he was 2 of 12 with six points in the first half as the Mavs trailed by 17 heading into the third quarter.

It was also the attitude and energy of the Mavs’ leader that stood out to the team’s detriment.

He was called out in the first half by TNT analyst Stan Van Gundy as well as NBA legend Charles Barkley at halftime.

“No energy, going through the motions, not getting back on D, not competing and lackadaisical,” Barkley said. “It’s disappointing.”

The good thing about Doncic is that he is a true competitor and he followed the unfathomable first half with a brilliant third quarter with 15 points.

The Mavericks trailed 92-69 before going on a Doncic-fueled 15-0 run to cut the deficit to 92-84 late in the third quarter.

But the hill was just high to climb.

Doncic finished with 28 points, six assists and nine rebounds.

He has nothing to be embarrassed about and the Mavs have a lot to look forward to. This team has the makings of something special.

And as great as Doncic was in 2021-2022, they need more of him next season — more and in better shape with more energy for the long haul.

Just think how special Doncic would be if he fixed his body and got rid of some of that baby fat around the middle.

He is already a load. He sees the floor as well as anyone.

Now, think about him having relentless energy.

Go back to Slovenia and hit the weights. And come back and take over the league.

A pudgy Doncic can’t do it.