Luka Doncic Agrees That He Is Playing Slow And That Is Why Mavericks Are Playing Slower

Luka Doncic agreed with Charles Barkley that the Dallas Mavericks have a slow pace, and explained it was because he is slow.

Credit: Kevin Jairaj/USA Today Sports

Luka Doncic has established himself among the firm favorites for MVP this season. Although the Dallas Mavericks have been struggling recently, Doncic has been on a level by himself to start the season. He's the NBA's leading scorer, and he does all this while averaging a huge number of rebounds and assists as well. Luka's style has been criticized by many at times, but it's plain to see that he doesn't quite have the consistent help he needs on the Mavericks. 

Luka Doncic put on an absolute clinic in Dallas' latest win over Golden State, putting up a humongous 41 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Doncic has been nigh unstoppable, and he already has as many career 40-point games as Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. Luka thrives by playing at his own pace, but sometimes that comes at the expense of his team. He was asked about it by Charles Barkley on Tuesday, and he had a surprisingly self-aware answer to the question. 

Charles Barkley: "You know, I think you guys need to play at a faster pace. Because when y'all walk the ball up and down the court, it makes it a 1-on-1 game for you. You guys think y'all need to play at a much faster pace?"

Luka Doncic: "Yeah, we have. But you know, I'm slow. So that's probably why we're playing slower. But I think you're right, you know, we've gotta get into our offense early and then play with better pace." 

Luka Doncic is a unique character when it comes to being an NBA star, he has no problems accepting his faults. He's steadily improved every year too, and if the Mavericks' role players can figure their shot out, should be right up there toward the top of the Western Conference again. 

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Do The Dallas Mavericks Need To Change How They Play?

Luka Doncic has been playing a whopping 37 minutes per game this season, which is an unsustainable load for him to carry. While sometimes it might be better for the Dallas Mavericks to move the ball, their lack of ball handling makes it difficult to play any other way. 

In an ideal world, the Mavs might choose to play with more speed. But for now, their best shot at winning is to slow the game down and let Doncic cook. How they proceed remains to be seen, but they have one of the league's most valuable players, and they have to ensure they don't waste his greatness. 

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