Luka Dončić is very unlikely to win his first MVP award this season.
He is aware of it. I do know it. Anybody who has adopted this 2023-24 marketing campaign carefully, and is aware of how onerous it’s to vary these awards narratives within the closing weeks earlier than the playoffs arrive, is aware of that Denver’s Nikola Jokić is the heavy frontrunner now, simply as he has been for months. The brief listing from there’s some mixture of Oklahoma Metropolis’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dončić and Boston’s Jayson Tatum. The Vegas oddsmakers agree.
But when ever there was a time for Dončić to perform a little politicking, to make good use of the highlight he sometimes doesn’t get pleasure from, it’s throughout this dominant Mavs run that ought to power voters to rethink their rankings on this entrance. The (Athletic) microphone is yours, younger man…
“I can’t reply that (MVP query),” he mentioned with a smile throughout our hallway dialog at Golden 1 Heart in Sacramento late Friday night time. “That’s for the media. I’m completely happy we’re profitable, man. That’s it. You already know I’m not going to reply that query.”
However some guys do.
“I do know some guys do, however you already know I’m not…”
Then I’ll discover the reply for him. Dončić’s unbelievable play is deserving of that a lot.
After routing Houston with ease on Sunday (125-107) and breaking the Rockets’ 11-game profitable streak, Dallas has now gained 19 of its final 25 video games (and 11 of its final 12) whereas going from eighth within the West to fifth alongside the way in which. The Mavs are solely two video games behind the fourth-place Clippers, with the prospect to host a first-round playoff matchup on the road, though Dallas doesn’t maintain the tiebreaker between the 2 groups.
As I wrote final week, Dallas’ commerce deadline strikes to shore up its long-struggling protection have paid large dividends. Hastily, only a few years after it appeared believable that Dončić would possibly head for the exits due to dysfunction that existed throughout the Mavericks’ partitions, this revamped entrance workplace has discovered a option to really complement the Luka-Kyrie Irving duo that it shaped in late January 2023.
This all issues for Dončić’s MVP functions, after all, as a result of his lack of elite staff success has at all times been the most important impediment to his prospects of profitable his first Michael Jordan trophy. The person greatness has been there since his NBA arrival from Slovenia in 2018, however there are too many broadly revered greats main reputable title contenders in right this moment’s recreation for any famous person to rise above that related issue (a la Russell Westbrook in 2017).
However Dončić, who has by no means completed increased than fourth in MVP voting, is checking that (unofficial) field in an enormous manner nowadays. As such, there needs to be a fair larger appreciation of how he has carried the Mavs since late October.
ICYMI, as the youngsters say…
Dončić — who leads the league in scoring (a career-high 33.8 factors per recreation), is third in assists (a career-high 9.8 per) and is the Mavs’ main rebounder (9.1 per) — is on monitor to develop into the primary participant to common at the least 33 factors, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Solely two gamers have even reached the 30-9-and-9 thresholds, with Oscar Robertson doing it 4 occasions and Westbrook as soon as.
Dončić is third this season in triple-doubles (behind Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis and Jokić) with 19. And as he reminded us but once more Sunday towards the Houston Rockets, when he maneuvered round Jabari Smith Jr. because the shot clock wound down and buried an underhand scoop shot from simply contained in the 3-point line, there’s an leisure component with Luka that provides to his attraction.
But as transcendent as Dončić has been, the very fact stays that his collective monitor file when it issues most — two postseason absences, two first-round exits and a 2022 West Finals look that was his playoff peak — leaves a lot to be desired. In that sense, this newest alternative looms extraordinarily massive.
GO DEEPER
How Luka Dončić nurtures his trick shot habit: ‘It’s not just a few BS’
This Mavericks staff is wanting extra harmful by the week, that means it’s time for Luka’s total physique of labor to be revisited for the needs of a good voting course of. The outcomes, for him and them, ought to put him on everybody’s brief listing.
But on the night time we spoke, when the Mavs got here again from 15 factors right down to beat the Kings on their residence flooring for the second straight time and create essential standings separation between them within the course of, his focus was on the previous as a lot because it was the current. With former Kings common supervisor Vlade Divac sitting at midcourt, Dončić (26 factors, 12 assists, 9 rebounds) had reminded the locals why their favourite staff — why Divac, extra particularly — ought to have drafted him over Marvin Bagley III with the No. 2 decide almost six years in the past.
This Sacramento story has been quieted in recent times due to the ascension of De’Aaron Fox, whose continued improvement was prioritized by Divac in his option to go for an enormous man in Bagley III, who he hoped would complement the Kings’ franchise centerpiece. Of the numerous causes Divac’s Kings entrance workplace tenure led to August 2020, the miss on Dončić topped the listing. However Dončić put Divac entrance and middle once more throughout play, when he may very well be seen gesturing towards him throughout a Dallas run and telling followers “he shoulda drafted me” as he headed for the bench throughout a break within the motion.
Luka Doncic as he places away the Kings tonight in Sacramento along with his last free throw, then as the ultimate horn sounds, waves goodbye to former Kings GM Vlade Divac seated courtside and says “he shoulda’ drafted me.” pic.twitter.com/6j26cLprxA
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 30, 2024
If one had been to re-do the 2018 draft, Dončić (who was taken third by Atlanta and traded to the Mavs for Trae Younger and a first-round decide) and Gilgeous-Alexander (eleventh to Clippers by way of Charlotte) could be the pinnacle of the category. The Suns’ option to take DeAndre Ayton first seems to be worse with each passing 12 months. The Kings, in different phrases, weren’t the one ones who missed the mark.
But as a result of greats like Dončić at all times appear to hunt motivation wherever they’ll discover it, the Sacramento subplot lives on. And Dončić, whose Mavericks look absolutely able to being reputable West contenders on this postseason that’s quick approaching, was very happy to speak about it. For the Mavs’ functions, although, the one takeaway that issues is that this.
“They didn’t get me,” mentioned Dončić, who’s signed on a supermax deal by means of the 2025-26 season and has a participant choice for 2026-27. “I’m completely happy in Dallas.”
And given the way in which the Mavs look these previous two months, who may blame him?
The next interview has been flippantly edited for brevity and readability.
So I bear in mind speaking to you a few years in the past after a Kings recreation, and telling you the way the locals had been fairly upset in regards to the Kings not grabbing you after they had the prospect.
They weren’t (upset) at first….
You don’t suppose the followers had been?
No. Not to start with. They only noticed (what they missed out on) after.
No, they had been mad from the beginning. However tonight, I imply if Vlade’s gonna sit within the entrance row, I suppose he ought to know he would possibly get it. I used to be a bit shocked he was there.
Yeah, I used to be shocked too (laughs).
So give me your ideas on this staff. You’ve already completed lots on this league, with the way in which you’ve performed and the West Finals look (towards Golden State in 2022). However Luka, this staff looks like it may be fairly particular. You’ve defensive guys, two-way play. What do you suppose, although? Are you beginning to take a look at it and see the place it will probably probably go?
It’s query. All people is simply hustling, taking part in collectively.
You’ve regarded fairly banged up recently. You’ve the (left) Achilles (soreness), the (proper) knee (that has been ailing him). You doing OK?
Right this moment was a battle.
Is there any long-term (well being) stuff taking place?
No, no, it’s simply brief. However our major (improvement) is our protection, and protection wins video games. So when we have now me and Ky (Kyrie Irving) on the market on offense, we are able to create pictures for anyone after they double staff us. So we simply play out of that.
I talked to (Mavs coach Jason Kidd) the opposite day, and he was saying how the officiating adjustments after the All-Star break have helped your protection however are more durable on you. How do you see that improvement?
Yeah, undoubtedly. They modified the officiating for positive. It’s undoubtedly more durable. They let rather more contact go, however I prefer it as a result of we are able to play protection.
It’s bizarre although, proper? I’ve coated the league for 20 years, and I’ve by no means seen them make this type of a change in the course of the season.
It’s totally different. It’s manner totally different.
When Kyrie got here to city, a number of us thought you could possibly solely be a one-way staff, and that it could be very onerous to have an elite protection. However you’ve performed effectively on that finish throughout this stretch (they’re fourth in defensive score since March 7, and tenth since including Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington on the commerce deadline). Does that get you fired up, understanding how vital it’s with regards to actually contending?
Yeah, after all. These two guys that we obtained on the commerce deadline, PJ and Gaff, they assist us lots. They by no means complain. They only play onerous each play, and they’re our two, I feel, greatest defensive guys. We’ve obtained D. Jones (Derrick Jones Jr.), and all people performs collectively. We now have a five-man protection, which is essential. The entire staff is particular, man.
(Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Pictures)