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DALLAS – Rather than engage in an unproductive discussion about young superstar Luka Doncic’s fitness level earlier in the season, Dallas Mavs coach Rick Carlisle is taking a higher, wiser path.
“He’s learning,” Carlisle told us Tuesday, “that greatness is a year-round proposition.”
Carlisle was recently on board a flight when he came across a movie called “In Pursuit of Greatness,” featuring the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice, and Pelé, which inspired the coach to inspire his star in a certain way.
“There’s talk of his conditioning and that sort of thing,” Carlisle acknowledged in our interview on 105.3 The Fan. “It’s ongoing, but as we move forward, I see more maturity.”
It’s easy for some to forget that Doncic, coming off a great season as a sophomore in Dallas and now the betting favorite to win the NBA MVP award, is only 21 years old.
Carlisle clearly doesn’t want us to forget that.
But the coach is also realistic about the precious nature of time when it comes to this shortened 72-game NBA schedule that creates less room for error. And he’s realistically about Dallas’ 1-2 starting failures this season, including a pair of frustrating road losses to the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, games in which the coach believes his team didn’t play with enough hits. “. first force. ”
Maybe Dallas fixed some of that Sunday afternoon, setting an NBA record in the shot clock era with a 50-point lead over the Los Angeles Clippers without Kawhi Leonard, in a game where Dallas ultimately won by 51 points.
READ MORE: Dallas Mavs Talk: Luka – ‘We Show Who We Are’ Vs Clippers
In that outing, Doncic, who, despite some difficulties, posted big numbers in all three games, finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, with just two turnovers in 26 minutes of action.
Carlisle believes that Doncic’s learning curve, at his young age, is unprecedented in basketball history. That’s one of the reasons he’s not as concerned as some about Luka’s current physical condition, which Doncic himself admits isn’t optimal.
“He’s discovering all of those things, and he’s getting closer and closer to improving his legs,” Carlisle said. “But this is a very different year. I think it goes without saying, and the challenges are very high.”
READ MORE: Next Week: Can Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavs Keep Rolling?
Doncic said on the subject: “I mean, people on Twitter say everything. But it’s true that I’m not in my best shape. I will arrive safely. But, you know, I’ve never been a muscular guy, so what can I say?
“Fat Luka” is more fun than fair. And certainly the “challenges” of performing on the same level as Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice and Pelé, not to mention LeBron, Giannis and Kawhi, are no joke, either.
But the teacher is teaching. And the student is learning.
“He’s learning that greatness is something that’s a year-round proposition,” Carlisle said, in words worth repeating. “You have to break your tail to stay in the best possible shape throughout the year.”
