01/01/2024 at 12:30 CET
There are few words left to define what Luka Doncic is doing in his sixth season in the NBA. The Slovenian is, pound for pound, the most talented player on the planet along with Nikola Jokic, posting historic numbers that are on par with the greatest in the sport. However, his candidacy for MVP is still far from convincing the league, something that causes many doubts among the general public and the current criteria to win the award.
Historical numbers every night
The Mavericks team borders on excellence in practically all metrics. He is the second highest scorer per game, with 33.9 points and the third best in assists, with 9.27. He is sweet and he knows it, especially from the outside shot, being the second highest scorer from long distance, with 4 per game. Luka dominates his rivals from start to finish and is a ‘chimera’ for any defensive scheme, something that he demonstrated again in the last match against the Warriorsdismantling Curry and his team with a magical 39/8/10.
His month of December on an individual level has almost no comparison: +35 points, + 8 rebounds and + 10 passes of basket playing at least ten games, a statistical line that only Oscar Robertson achieved in 1960, legendary point guard for the Royals and Bucks who laid the foundations for today’s basketball. The former Real Madrid player is still determined to break records every night he plays, but the NBA seems not to want to recognize Doncic’s greatness in terms of MVP.
The NBA forgets about Luka
In the last official ranking by the MVP published on December 30, The NBA placed the Dallas point guard in fifth position for the award, behind Embiid, Jokic, Antetokounmpo y Shai Gilgeous Alexander. No matter how much merit their rivals are reaping, the assessment that the same competition makes of one of its main stars is more than doubtful. It’s not just a matter of numbers. Luka has an aura of generational player; a man destined to occupy a privileged position on the basketball Olympus when he puts an end to his career.
After two months of dispute, the only rival who could take the prize from him ands Joel Embiid, Philadelphia center who is having a tremendous year, determined to revalidate the MVP he achieved for the first time in 22-23. The 76ers leads the competition in points per contest (35.00) and is fifth in rebounds, with 11.72. His dominance on the court is total, forming a lethal duo with Tyrese Maxey that has dispelled all the doubts left by Harden’s departure from the franchise. They are third in the Eastern Conference, with a 22-10 scale, fighting face to face with the Bucks and Celtics for the throne. As far as the other three MVP contenders are concerned, Doncic is one step above without any discussion.
The Mavs, a barrier to the MVP
Beyond the individual performance of the players, something that the league takes into account when awarding the MVP It is the team’s record at the end of the season. It is often said that the award is given to the “best player on the best team”, something that could be a stumbling block for Luka. From the list of 5 candidates, Dallas is the team with the worst balance in wins and losses.
The Mavericks, for the moment, continue to suffer from the same problems that have limited their aspirations in past seasons. They are sixth in the Western Conference (19-14), credited to irregularity and injuries to vital men. After missing some games at the beginning of the campaign, Kyrie Irving He now has 12 games without dressing short, a decline that Jason Kidd is noticing and that has forced the coach to make a move. There is also good news: Lively’s selection in the Draft has been an unexpected success, and the resurrection of Dante Exum seems a reality and not a mirage. But it’s not enough.
For Doncic to opt for MVP clearly, under the league’s current criteria, everything indicates that the Mavericks will have to improve their performance and climb positions on the leaderboard.
2024-01-01 11:30:48
#NBA #forgets #Doncic
