Vince Carter Gives Insight on Mavs Star Luka Doncic’s NBA Conditioning

Ex-NBA and Mavs player Vince Carter was asked about Luka Doncic's conditioning and he shared intriguing insight.

Luka Doncic is coming off his most productive NBA season from a personal production standpoint. He averaged 34.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists, placing him with Michael Jordan as the only players to average 32-8-8 in a season. 

Despite Doncic's historic production, the Dallas Mavericks finished with a 38-44 record, failing to even qualify for the play-in tournament. As a result, there is naturally going to be criticism that the organization and players face, including Doncic. 

For the Slovenian superstar, the main criticism he tends to face are regarding his ability to maintain ideal conditioning entering and throughout an NBA season, as well as his temperament on the court as it relates to officiating and being unable to avoid technical fouls.

NBA legend and former member of the Mavs, Vince Carter, recently joined The K&C Masterpiece on 105.3 The Fan at the Invited Celebrity Classic to about the team. Among the topics was Doncic and if he can take a "mature step" physically and on the court, similar to what Joel Embiid has done.

Carter, who played 22 seasons in the NBA, believes that Doncic is capable of such an adjustment, but it comes down the willingness to dedicate himself to doing so. Doncic entered the season in shape and had a historic start to the season, scoring 30 points in each of his initial seven performances. However, the taxing early-season workload he carried resulted in him breaking down toward the end of the season. 

"I’m gonna say he can, but we’ll see. And the reason I say he can is he’s proven that to us on his approach this summer, playing all year, getting his body in shape, and having a great year," Carter said. "And I think people were more impressed and encouraged by the approach that he’s taken. It’s your willingness to dedicate yourself to that. People always ask me, “Well, how did you do it? How were you able to play?” It was my willingness to do whatever it took to last that long. And it doesn’t sound sexy. It’s like, “Oh, okay, cool.”

Carter mentions that once players reach their mid 20s as they reach their 30s, it's especially important to be disciplined in their approach since their bodies change. He recalls having a "laundry list" of responsibilities to ensure that he made the most of his preparation for every practice and game.

"I could go tell my eight-year-old kid that but they’re like, “Alright, what does that mean?” But if I had a laundry list of 12 things that I needed to do every practice or game, I stuck to it because that’s how I got myself prepared. Like Dirk Nowitzki, sometimes you see him walking in for shoot around or before the game and was like, “Oh, he’s not playing today.” Because that walk was nasty, and same with me, but it was just like ol’ Chevy, you know, it takes a lot. You gotta rev it up and let it run a little bit. And that was kind of my approach. 

"If I were to skip two of those, now it’s only 10 things that I would do. If I skipped, now it’s only eight and after a while you’re just taking shortcuts and eventually hurting yourself. So I think he, Luka, can do it. It’s just, is he willing to dedicate himself? Because he’s so gifted and basketball is the number one. Like I work on my game, I want to be the best player but once guys start hitting that mid-20s, maybe later closer to the 30s, it starts to click in more because your body starts to change."

There is a significant importance regarding daily habit that Doncic certainly could benefit from having a greater appreciation for going forward in his NBA career. However, perhaps the main issue at hand is how much basketball he's played over the last few years. No matter how well someone prepares, workload can be an issue.

Doncic has participated in international play with Slovania each year since 2020 and is set to do so again in part of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which will begin on Aug. 25 and run to Sept. 10 in the Philippines with early-round sites including Japan and Indonesia. With the 2024 Olympics taking place next summer, there won't be a reduction in international competition anytime soon.

Given that Doncic is not going to be stopping international competition anytime soon, the Mavs need to be additionally conscious about how they handle his workload throughout a given season. However, there needs to be buy-in for approach in that regard, too. 

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here.

Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter and Facebook.

Follow Grant Afseth on Twitter.