JJ Redick's subtle jab at Luka Doncic is exactly what Nico Harrison was waiting for

Two weeks after the Dallas Mavericks' season ended, the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Doncic met a similar fate after a disastrous five-game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves exposed the Lakers' lack of depth at the center position as Rudy Gobert dominated with Los Angeles's lack of size down low.

Gobert and many of the Timberwolves' forwards made it hard for the Lakers to establish any legitimate momentum with their suffocating defense and elite offensive rebounding. While the Lakers' lack of size was exposed on the biggest stage, JJ Redick was quick to call out his team on their lack of preparation ahead of the postseason.

It's unclear if the lights were too bright for Redick in his first-ever playoff coaching experience, or the roster that was handed to him truly wasn't prepared for the juggernaut that was the Timberwolves. However, Redick took to the post-game presser after Game 5 to call out Doncic and his team.

Nico Harrison catches break after JJ Redick's jab at Luka Doncic

The Lakers "must get into championship shape," Redick said. While this could mean many different things and it could be directed at multiple players, this was no doubt a jab at Doncic and his poor defense, as he must come into next season in better shape. It may not be what fans want to hear, but this has been a recurring problem for Doncic throughout his career and most likely the main reason Nico Harrison traded him.

Since before Doncic became the star fans know today, he was already emerging as a player who would have conditioning and defensive concerns tied to his name. Something Laker fans learned the hard way is that Doncic's defensive concerns are due to his lack of effort on the defensive end.

This could be due to a slew of reasons, but one that makes the most sense is that his lack of conditioning has always held him back from being an above-average defender. Throughout stints of his Maverick career, Doncic provided the team with solid team defense during the postseason, which is why seeing him struggle as a Laker on the defensive end was so puzzling for fans to understand.

While many of the things that were said by the Mavericks about Doncic after trading him were blown out of proportion, they did have some truth to them. It's no secret that Doncic had some bad offseason habits that brought his conditioning into question, and Redick's postgame comments may have been a jab at these exact patterns.

It may be unpopular for fans to say, but some of what Harrison has said about Doncic and the reasons for making the trade have turned out to be true. It's unclear where the Mavericks would be today had they not traded away the Slovenian star, but his absence for the Lakers on the defensive end exposed what many knew to be true.

The Lakers have the opportunity this summer to add a few names to their center rotation, but it must start with Doncic staying ready for next season. Pairing Doncic alongside a big has proven to be a winning formula and is one of the main reasons Dallas reached the NBA Finals last season.

This offseason, Doncic will likely be held to a higher pedestal than he ever was as a member of the Mavericks. Assuming Doncic comes into training camp prepared and conditioned, Redick's comments may become a blessing in disguise.