Luka Doncic with a silly answer to Charles Barkley on Dallas Mavericks’ slow in-game pace: "Yeah we have, but I'm slow"

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks can't seem to get through their mini-slump and it's been a call of concern. All-time NBA great and current TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley believes Luka Doncic and the Mavericks need to pick up their pace.

Before the Mavericks' game against the Golden State Warriors, Barkley asked Doncic if they needed to play at a much faster pace.

How Luka Doncic responded to Charles Barkley was hilarious, but also concerning.

Charles Barkley: "Do you guys think y'all need to play at a much faster pace?"

Luka Doncic: "Yeah we have, but I'm slow."

#MFFL https://t.co/tcfkcFVyT3

While Doncic is likely just messing around here, there is some truth to this. He plays extended minutes, but even when fresh, he's not exactly the fastest guy in the NBA.

Luka Doncic gets praise from Charles Barkley

Despite Charles Barkley asking Luka Doncic this question, Barkley has long been a supporter of the young superstar.

“I don’t think there’s a ceiling for Luka,” Barkley said. “I think he is just special.

“[Luka] is a special talent,” Barkley continued. “He’s a tough kid. The stuff he’s doing right now at 22 is incredible.”

While Barkley believes Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA, Barkley has also spoken about his flaws:

“He’s got to learn to play off the ball a little bit more. I think one reason you saw this Dallas team get to the next level is because when Luka got hurt, other guys had to be more aggressive.”

In the playoffs, Barkley touched on the same thing he said about Doncic recently and playing at a slow pace:

“I’m a big Luka Doncic fan but he’s not competing out there at all tonight,” Barkley said. “He came out lackadaisical just jacking up threes and his energy and activity level is at the bottom.

“So just disappointed watching him play because when you are the best player … you have to always bring your energy because the other guys feed off of your energy. And that energy is so low. Like I said, two times he didn’t even run back on defense.”

Dallas was able to come away with an impressive 116-113 win against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Dallas, who's now 10-10, put themselves in a better position after this huge win. They're just the ninth seed in the Western Conference and they realize that won't help them make the noise they want to make come playoff time.

Luka Doncic was sensational once again as he added to his MVP campaign. He took over against the Golden State Warriors with 41 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in 39 minutes. His season averages are video game-like, as he's averaging 33.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game while shooting 50.5% from the field.

There's a chance that he could win the MVP this season if Dallas starts to win more. Voters might not want to vote for a player if his team isn't a top five seed, but the season is still early and Dallas can get back to a top spot.

As we saw a season ago, no matter the pace, Doncic can beat any team by himself on any given night.