“If you look at the greats in the league……. they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win. And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.” If being scrutinized because Luka Doncic’s trade wasn’t enough, then Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont invited more controversy onto himself by making those remarks about the Slovenian. Luka Doncic did not spend 6 years with the Mavs, attempting to keep the team afloat after the Dirk Nowitzki era, and increase their playoff odds, all so that his work ethic is put under attack by the team owner. It was a belief that several people believe, including a former prominent team executive.

Haralabos Voulgaris recently sat down for an interview with ‘FOX 4 KFDW’. The 49-year-old had earlier served as the Dallas Mavericks’ director of quantitative research and development. He joined the organization around the same time as Luka Doncic. Voulgaris openly criticized Dumont’s viewpoint. He stated that the owner believes the Slovenian“rolls out of bed and becomes like the greatest offensive player aside from Nikola Jokic”. Calling this belief offensive, the former executive attested to the hard work Doncic puts on his craft. Even amidst the defense, however, Voulgaris dropped a truth bomb. He admitted the Slovenian can still improve in some places. After all, the former executive did witness a few drawbacks in the Mavs locker room.

“Now, was he doing everything perfectly? No, of course not. Like, that’s the other part that’s disappointing is that there still is some people around, I guess, that are kind of downplaying. Like, even his dad had a bunch of really positive things to say. Which is nice to have your dad say this. But also, someone should be like ‘Yeah, you know, what he does have to take his conditioning a little bit more seriously’” said Voulgaris.

“That’s the thing, I think, that would be interesting to see if that change happens, because someone does…. as great as he is, he can be better, for sure. Everyone can be better, and he has a very, very simple amount of things he can do to get to improve his game. Which is just take his conditioning a little bit more seriously take his diet a little bit more seriously”.

If there is one thing that Luka Doncic is often criticized over, he can’t control his weight. Even Charles Barkley once took a dig at him over this by stating “We really live in a world where the 2 best basketball players on planet Earth are slightly overweight white guys. What a time to be alive.” For the dig to be mixed in praise is a unique way to say something. During the recent offseason, the 5x NBA All-Star participated in the Night of the Dragon event. As Luka Doncic teamed up with Nikola Jokic for the charity game, fans noticed the Slovenian being a bit ‘wider’. Reporter Jason Timpf criticized Doncic by stating “he kind of seems to be trending in the wrong direction”.

After the trade, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that there was significant frustration, within the Mavs. All due to Doncic’s lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning. Team sources reportedly attributed the same as a major factor in the player’s injury issues. Luka Doncic’s recent calf strain, sustained during the Christmas Day game, sidelined him for more than a month. The injury would only enhance said concerns.

Despite this, it is important to remember that Luka Doncic was the Mavs’ lead scorer averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in the 22 games with the Texas franchise this season. He and Kyrie Irving helped the team reach the NBA Finals, last season, for the first time since 2011. Therefore, surely things could have been worked out vis-a-vis the diet factor. However, through his remarks, Patrick Dumont made it clear that the player’s weight was not the only issue. Something that Haralabos Voulgaris disagrees with.

It made sense that the former Mavs objective raised his objection to the owner’s remark sooner than later. After all, he was amongst the first people to openly criticize the Mavs over the trade.

Haralabos Voulgaris criticized Nico Harrison over one of the “worst trades” after Luka Doncic’s exit

Luka Doncic’s trade to the Dallas Mavericks caught everyone by surprise. From Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo to Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson, everyone questioned its legitimacy. It didn’t take long for the criticism to also drop on the Dallas Mavericks executive, especially team GM Nico Harrison. Without wasting any time, Haralabos Voulgaris tweeted “This will go down as one of (Probably THE) worst trades in the history of Sports. You just traded away a top 3 player in the prime of his career and your return was a single first and a soon to be 32 year old Anthony Davis. The fact that you threw in a 2nd for good measure is just *chefs kiss*”.

The fact that Anthony Davis got injured in his Mavs debut did not help anyone who would have attempted to counter Voulgaris’s claim. No matter what, however, the decision was made, and Doncic will now carve out his NBA career alongside the Lakers. Whether that team also raises the same objections is something that remains to be seen.