Last month, Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month. This was Doncic’s fourth time receiving the honor, and he has maintained his excellent level of performance into this month.
Dallas’ star was unquestionably deserving of the honor, as he averaged 33.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 9.7 assists in February. Doncic shot 51.7% from the field that month.
In January, Doncic scored 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks, breaking his career scoring record. This is the fourth-highest scoring game in NBA history.
Former NBA great drops bold Luka Doncic and Mavericks take, but he misses the point.
So, it’s safe to assume Doncic is the frontrunner to win MVP, correct?
Well, it depends on whom you ask. On Monday, USA Today announced their weekly MVP rankings, with Doncic finishing in fourth. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic were the three players who came before him.
This is an opinion that former NBA great Jamal Crawford appears to agree with. In a pregame analysis Tuesday, Crawford and his coworker Shaquille O’Neal picked Gilgeous-Alexander as their MVP pick.
However, whenever you look at Crawford’s argument above it’s possible he might be missing the main idea about Doncic.
The take can be looked at in two different ways. First, the MVP award itself. The award is given to a player who performs well during the regular season. For example, during the 2008-2009 season, Lebron James won the MVP award, even though his team lost in the second round to the Boston Celtics. The same thing goes for Russell Westbrook during the 2016-2017 campaign. That season he averaged 31.6 points per game and won the top NBA award, even though his team was swept in the first round. The award has nothing to do with the playoffs.
So, how is it that Doncic’s MVP chances hinge on the Mavericks’ performance in the playoffs? Why would Crawford bring up this year’s playoffs as a way for Doncic to prove himself when he already has?
Since coming into the league, Luka has had five all-star appearances and been named to five straight All-NBA First Teams.
Not to mention he also won Rookie of the Year in 2019. Doncic played a key role in helping Dallas advance to the first Western Conference in 2022, a first since the 2010-2011 season.
This month, he became the first player to have six-straight 30-point triple-doubles.
Yet, NBA voters and analysts continue to overlook Doncic.
Players such as Joel Embiid and Gilgeous-Alexander continue to be ranked ahead of Doncic for MVP. Last season, Embiid won MVP, yet he hosts a 27-26 playoff record. One thing to note is even before the injuries he struggled to help the 76ers reach the conference finals.
The same argument can be made for Gilgeous-Alexander. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is high on the MVP list, yet has failed to experience true playoff success.
If you remember, both Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander came into the league at the same time. Doncic however, leads the OKC star in almost every NBA award. This season, the Mavs’ star also averages 3.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 more assists than Shai.
Either way, the message is clear: Luka Doncic should be the front-runner for MVP. Its clear he has checked all the requirements needed for the award.
Frontrunner Nikola Jokic even believes Doncic is deserving of the award.
So, what are voters waiting for? Why not let this be Doncic’s year? What more must he prove?
