Dudley came back in 2010-11 (left) lighter and leaner than in 2009-10 (right).
(NBAE/Getty Images)

After chasing around Kobe Bryant during the entire Western Conference Finals last season, Suns swingman Jared Dudley made a pact with himself. He was going to return for the 2010-11 season a new man with a new body.

When Dudley showed up at US Airways Center this past September, the work that he put in over the offseason was visibly apparent the second you saw him. The former Boston College standout was a cardio animal last summer, running and participating in intense basketball drills in order to become quicker, more agile and better prepared to guard freaky athletic perimeter players.

He dropped over 15 pounds and worked on his mid-range game. Dudley spent hour upon hour working on his pull-up jumper off the dribble, which enabled him to help Steve Nash put pressure on the defense this season.

The effort paid off for the 6-7 swingman. Dudley posted a career-high in points (10.6), rebounds, steals and blocks, while starting a career-high 15 games.

He even set a career high in dunks. You can see those beauties by clicking here.

However, the four-year veteran is vowing not to become complacent. After all the work he did to trim down last season, Dudley said he’s going to switch things up and hit the weight room… hard.

“I didn’t lift one time last summer,” he said. “This summer, I’ll probably will lift four times a week.”

The reasoning behind hitting the weight room?

“Muscle is always better than fat,” he said semi-seriously, semi-jokingly.

Maybe Dudley will come back looking more like this next season?

Dudley is here to “pump you up.”