The 2018 NBA Draft was a complete success for the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic, their first-overall pick, has exceeded all expectations and is currently leading the way in Rookie of the Year voting with his stellar playmaking ability that’s reminiscent of LeBron James or Chris Paul. However, despite being a top candidate to win MVP himself this season, Doncic has flown under the radar until recently due to how overshadowed he is by superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry.
The “nba mvp race” is a conversation that has been taking place since the start of the season. Luka Doncic has quietly crept his way into the conversation.
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks faced a reckoning early in the 2021-22 NBA season. Doncic has subsequently played his way back into form following a summer of strenuous international competition and an early-season slump that led in confessions about his lack of fitness. He’s also making noise as a candidate for NBA MVP.
In their previous ten games, the Mavericks are 7-3. Doncic has been a huge part of their success, as his offensive explosions have helped a team that desperately needed more scoring and playmaking.
The unusual deadline-day transaction that delivered Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards has raised a lot of questions. It’s also unclear how Dallas intends to build around Luka now.
Regardless, Doncic’s current hot streak serves as a stark reminder that he is deserving of MVP consideration.
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Luka Doncic struggled to shoot the ball in the start of the 2021-22 season.
On February 10, 2022, Luka Doncic reacts after making a three-point shot against the Los Angeles Clippers | Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Doncic’s skill at such a young age spurred Mark Jackson, a former NBA point guard and ESPN analyst, to campaign for Luka’s inclusion on the NBA 75 team. Early in the season, the Slovenian phenomenon didn’t resemble his megastar self in the least.
Doncic had a true shooting percentage of under 50% and an offensive rating of only 96 in his first six games. In November, he hit the ball better from three-point range, but his free-throw percentage plummeted to 63.9 percent. The 22-year-old got into a rhythm near the charity stripe before losing his touch beyond the arc.
Doncic made 27.5 percent of his three-point attempts in December and 28.2 percent in January. Given how often Doncic shoots step-back jumpers and fires off the dribble, there’s something to be argued about the degree of difficulty. Despite this, the inefficiencies stood out on the page.
Luka, on the other hand, never had a chance to create a rhythm because of his fitness issues and time missed in December owing to injury and changes in health and safety standards. He seemed to have found his stride now.
In February, Doncic has been outstanding, steadily regaining his place in the NBA MVP debate.
Doncic resurfaces as a dominant force.
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Luka Doncic is having one of his greatest seasons of his career.
Doncic averaged 36.7 points, 10.2 assists, and 10.0 rebounds in his first six games of February. He shot 43.1 percent from outside the arc and 49.1 percent from the field. His performances aren’t even reflected in the figures.
On Feb. 4, Doncic had a fantastic triple-double against NBA MVP contender Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. In the pick-and-roll, he displayed incredible patience, meticulously analyzing blitzes from the Sixers defense and locating open shooters moving off the ball or feeding Dwight Powell and the rest of Dallas’ bigs for easy points on short rolls.
In recent games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Doncic demonstrated his explosive scoring talents in back-to-back games. Luka scored a total of 96 points in the two games, including a career-high 51 points in a victory against LA on Feb. 10.
After the Kristaps Porzingis experiment comes to an end, Dallas must find out how to adjust and prepare for the future. For the time being, the Mavericks will most likely hope that Doncic can continue to play MVP-caliber basketball.
Luka’s NBA MVP credentials are being evaluated.
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The NBA MVP conversation usually revolves on Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Doncic, on the other hand, is putting up a strong case.
The Mavs sensation is averaging close to a triple-double at 27.2 points, 9.1 assists, and 9.0 rebounds. He ranks sixth in the NBA in both value over replacement player and total box plus-minus. Additionally, Doncic leads the NBA in generating the most high-quality looks for his teammates, per SIS Hoops.
All of them are amazing figures, made even more so by the notion that Luka’s club might end up as the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed. Not to mention that, like Jokic and Embiid, Doncic is the team’s lone All-Star, though that has since changed for Embiid with the addition of James Harden.
Doncic, on the other hand, has found his stride. His outstanding performance has aided the Mavs’ momentum, and he should be considered for NBA MVP more often.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
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The “nba mvp voting” is a conversation that has been on the minds of many fans. Luka Doncic has quietly crept his way into the MVP conversation.
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