Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is off to a red-hot start to the season and could emerge as a real dark horse threat to win the NBA’s MVP award
It may be a bit early in the season to start crowning MVPs but Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been playing at an MVP-level so far (in just his second season I might add).
So, does he actually have a chance to enter the discussion this year? Let’s break it down by taking a look at the three main traits that MVPs usually share, and those are:
- Superstar numbers
- Team success
- MVP narrative/storyline
How does Luka fare in each category? Let’s find out!
*I also talk about all this (plus a whole lot more) in the latest Around the Arc podcast which you can listen to instead of doing all this reading if you want (check it out below)!By the Numbers
Doncic is averaging 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.5 steals a night to start the young season. He’s shooting around 46 percent from the floor, 35 percent from deep and 80 percent at the free-throw line.
Now, first off, those numbers are just astonishing (especially for a second-year player) and are definitely MVP-worthy. And the other thing that jumps out, is the fact that these numbers appear to be sustainable – for Luka anyway.
His usage rate may drop off a little as Porzingis continues to get healthier but it’s not like he’s been shooting 60 percent from the field or making six 3’s a night so I wouldn’t expect a big drop off either.
As long as he continues to average close to a triple-double, while putting up at least 25 a night, he’s going to be right there in the discussion.
If the Mavs can keep winning that is.
Team Success
Now, the MVP award is never purely about individual prowess and putting up the craziest stats. You also need to play for a winning team and not just that, you need to be the main reason your team is winning.
Again, Doncic ticks both of those boxes so far this season.
The Mavericks are currently 4-2, and that is with their second-best player, Kristaps Porzingis, still not all the way back to 100 percent. Again, it’s certainly a small sample size but a good start nonetheless.
Sure, other guys have stepped up but the sole reason the Mavs are currently sitting in the thick of the playoff race out West is because of their main man, Luka.
The majority of the season is still ahead of us, but barring any major injuries, with the way Luka is playing, Dallas could potentially finish as a top-five or six seed which – in this insane western conference – could be enough to warrant MVP consideration.
If Luka has the narrative to go along with the winning, that is.
An MVP Narrative
People love a good storyline. And since it’s people who vote for the MVP, storylines and narratives become a huge factor in deciding who wins.
This can work to some players’ detriment, like LeBron and Michael Jordan because people would just get bored of voting for them over and over again.
But for a guy like Luka Doncic, the narrative is there…At just 20 years old, he would be the youngest MVP winner in NBA history which is an MVP-caliber narrative unto itself.
He will also have defied all expectations and come out of nowhere as a complete underdog to win the award and if there’s one thing that people love more than a good story, it’s a good underdog story.
You also include the fact that he is leading a Dallas squad who is better than most of us were expecting heading into the year, and you have all the makings of a dark horse MVP candidate.
I still wouldn’t put my money on Doncic to win the award, but stranger things have certainly happened and with this shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable NBA seasons in recent memory, then why not entertain the possibility?
Who’s your biggest dark horse threat for MVP? Comment below!