2020 was a year of much big news around the NBA, and the rise of Luka Doncic was certainly big news. The Slovenian superstar upped his numbers across the board and carried the Mavericks to the 6th seed in the Western Conference when many thought Dallas were at least a few years from making the postseason. In 33.6 MPG of play, Doncic averaged 28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 8.8 APG.
The Dallas Mavericks have found their next superstar after the retirement of the great Dirk Nowitzki, and this season Doncic will be looking to take another massive step forward. Very possibly, Doncic will be the favorite for the MVP Award and will likely win it. The stage is set for a 21-year old Luka Doncic to be the MVP of the league and start building his Hall of Fame status.
5. Steady Improvement Since The Rookie Season
The first reason Luka Doncic will win the MVP this season is evidence of his growth since his rookie season. Doncic absolutely burst onto the scene 2 years ago by being much better than anyone imagined. He was only 19 years old but had the body of a grown man and the skills of an NBA All-Star and veteran. After playing years in Europe, Doncic was immediately the real deal.
Luka Doncic shocked the world even more by taking a massive step up in only his second year. Luka proved that he wasn’t only a fantastic talent, but a natural-born leader. Doncic became the best player for the Mavericks and also a man capable of making big plays for the success of his team. When nobody expected the raw Dallas Mavericks team to be any threat, they made it to the playoffs and won 2 games against the mighty Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. There is reason to expect that Doncic will continue his upward trend.
4. The Dallas Mavericks Will Win More Games
The Mavericks were quite good last year, but they will also be good this season. The Mavericks will have one of the best duos in the NBA with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, and a deeper roster. The Mavericks traded Seth Curry for Josh Richardson, which is a massive upgrade. Curry is one of the best shooters in the league, but he offers nothing else on the floor. In terms of 2-way play at the shooting guard position, Josh Richardson is an above-average talent. Richardson played 30.8 MPG and averaged 13.7 PPG as a starter for the Sixers. Richardson shot 34.1% from three as well, which is a decent clip.
The Mavericks also return with the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr, who shot 39.8% from three and also added James Johnson. Hardaway Jr and Josh Richardson are two capable starters alongside Doncic and Porzingis, and they have bench depth. Trey Burke, Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell, and recently drafted Josh Green are all great role players who can contribute under head coach Rick Carlisle.
3. Luka Doncic Will Play The Most Minutes In The NBA
The MVP Award is normally given to the player who carried the most load during an NBA season. It is shown by rewarding a player for his statistical contributions, the impact he had on games, and his overall value to his team. Playing more minutes allowed a superstar to put up more stats on the board, give his team more to offer, and win games. Doncic is a natural-born leader and winner, and his workload in 2021 will be quite surreal.
The Dallas Mavericks do not want to rest on remaining a bottom playoff team and will continue to push Doncic to reach greatness immediately. He has shown many flashes of brilliance, but the Mavericks want to win as many games as possible and will achieve this by playing Luka a ton of minutes. Just like every all-time great at 21 years old before him, Doncic will have the energy and capabilities to continue dominating games and playing big minutes for his team.
2. Luka Doncic Has No Weakness In His Game
When looking at what Doncic has done already in the NBA, he has no weakness. He averaged a near triple-double last year by posting 28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 8.8 APG. Luka is already one of the most impactful players in the NBA with his ability to distribute the ball when double-teamed, score at the rim, and use his size to crash the boards. A triple-double threat is always a threat to win the MVP Award.
What is even more impressive is his shooting ability. Doncic shot 46.3% from the field, 31.6% from three, and 75.8% from the line. While these shooting numbers don’t leap out the page and look average, he can make shots from anywhere on the court. With his progression as a player expected, Luka will continue upping his shooting percentages as he learns to be more efficient. Either way, Doncic is a threat from anywhere on the floor and has no weakness in his game.
1. Luka Doncic Can Put A Superhuman Effort To Make A Top-3 Seed In The West
The Western Conference standings are there for the taking. The Los Angeles Lakers will most likely capture the first seed, but the rest of the conference is open. Either the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets will grab the second seed, and the Dallas Mavericks will push as hard as possible to grab the third seed. With Luka Doncic having an MVP season, the Mavericks will place among the top 4 seeds at the very least. Luka’s impact on the game is that surreal and he will show it in 2021.
Luka Doncic must have at least a top-4 or 5 seed in the West to win the MVP Award, and it is expected he will manage that. With a 3rd seed in the West and Luka’s statistics, Doncic is a front-runner for the MVP Award. He will have a ton of competition with Giannis Antetokounmpo and even LeBron James, but Doncic will distance himself by leading an average team to a top-3 seed in the West and dominating the box scores.
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