The Dallas Mavericks had a clear message on Wednesday night: “Real MVP.” Translated, it means that Luka Dončić is seen as the true MVP. And since it was coming from the Mavs, it wasn’t hard to understand what the message on the T-shirts worn by players, coaches, and staff before the game against the Miami Heat meant.
Coach Jason Kidd, who was a close second in the 2001-02 MVP voting to Tim Duncan, admitted his bias when he said he believes Luka Dončić should be the NBA’s MVP this season. He had a straightforward answer for why the 25-year-old Slovenian star isn’t seen as the top contender for the award.
“Game’s too simple, too easy,” Kidd said. “He makes it look too easy. Unfortunately, that’s what happens with some of the greats … we take for granted their talent.”
Doncic will likely be one of the MVP selections on many of the 100 award ballots cast by a panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league. However, it’s generally expected that Denver’s Nikola Jokić will win the award for the third time in the last four years.
If Doncic doesn’t win the MVP this year, his Dallas teammate Kyrie Irving believes it will happen soon. “He’s mastered different nuances of the game and he’s continuing to explore his abilities and his talents,” Irving said. “And it’s beautiful to be a part of.”
Statistically, Doncic is set to win his first scoring title when the regular season ends on Sunday. With two games left, Doncic is averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. No player in NBA history has ever finished a season with such averages in all three of those categories. Additionally, he led a 50-win team that won the Southwest Division.
“He’s the real MVP. … I think his resume is better than anybody else’s resume,” Mavs forward P.J. Washington said. “I don’t feel like there’s a complete argument that anybody had a better season this year.”
Doncic is expected to be first-team All-NBA for the fifth time in his six Dallas seasons, and his 284 3-pointers this season rank second in the league, behind only Golden State’s Stephen Curry. “He’s only 25,” Kidd said, “but he’s playing the game like no one else.”
