Mario Hezonja on His Physical Transformation Since 2015
The Cleveland forward reflects on adding over 30kg of mass since his draft, saying it was hard work rather than shortcuts, and says it now aids his defensive matchups.
Mario Hezonja has spoken about how much his body has changed since Orlando drafted him fifth overall in 2015.
Back then he stood around 198cm and weighed 86kg. He now lists his height at roughly 206cm and his weight at 118kg.
"When I got drafted, I looked like a kid even at Summer League. Although I was very talented, I wasn't physically ready for the NBA," Hezonja said.
He put the added mass down to years of work rather than any shortcut. "It's just insanely hard work and an almost fanatical dedication to the job," Hezonja explained.
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson has credited the new frame with letting Hezonja punish opponents on defensive mismatches, and the forward himself argues the extra size has made him more versatile on court.
If that holds up once the season starts, Hezonja's route back into a regular rotation role may run less through his old reputation as a shooter and more through his ability to bully smaller defenders switched onto him.
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