When people discuss the MVP award in the NBA, there are two players mentioned most prominently; Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Some people will mention Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, who has helped them turn things around in a big way this season. However, Morant can be knocked down the list a little bit because of the success his team has without him.
Memphis is 13-2 without Morant in the lineup this season, speaking volumes to how well of a job the front office and coaching staff have done. Morant plays on a good team, which will be viewed as a negative by some people.
Embiid and Jokic are imperative to their team’s success. The 76ers struggled mightily when Embiid was sidelined because of landing in the league’s health and safety protocols.
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Jokic, the NBA MVP last season, makes the Nuggets one of the best teams ever when he is on the court and when he is off the court, they are among the worst ever.
But, one player who seems to get lost in the shuffle is Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic got off to a very slow start, which is likely why he isn’t mentioned as much as some of his peers. He also landed in the league’s health and safety protocols and struggled with injuries as he came into the season out of shape.
Despite that, he is making a strong case to be considered for the MVP. He has excellent stats, averaging 28.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. The Mavericks are 36-17 when he is on the court and only 7-9 when he sits, so he is certainly important to their success.
Dallas is currently in fifth place in the Western Conference, tied with the Utah Jazz who are in fourth and only three games behind the third-place Golden State Warriors. Climbing in the standings and overcoming those two teams would certainly bolster Doncic’s case to win the MVP award.
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Alas, his early-season struggles are likely going to be what costs him. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Ja Morant have all played at an elite level the entire season, which gives them a leg up in some people’s eyes.
However, the season is not yet done. If Luka Doncic puts together a few more monster scoring nights and the Dallas Mavericks continue to win games, he could make a late push for the MVP award.
