Luka Doncic has been terrific this season; there is no doubt he has made a big impact on the game and a lot of people believe he should be rewarded some way. Well, the NBA thinks the same and they put Doncic as one of the finalists for the Most Improved Player this season, along with Brandon Ingram and Bam Adebayo.
Doncic once again proved he’s one of the best players in the league on Saturday night after a magnificent performance against the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring 36 points with 14 rebounds and 19 assists. The Slovenian player has demonstrated he is the real deal but he’s shown a maturity and a humble mentality that not a lot of NBA players have.
After the game, Luka had a little exchange with Dallas Morning News reporter Brad Townsend, where he asked the reporter and his colleagues to take him off the list for the MIP award.
Luka to Townsend on MIP voting: “Who votes in this?”
Townsend: “Well, 100 of us, including me.”
Doncic: “Take me off the list and put Devonte Graham on there. I don’t deserve to be on there.”
Luka to me on MIP voting: “Who votes in this?”
Me: “Well, 100 of us, including me.”@luka7doncic: “Take me off the list and put @Devonte4Graham on there. I don’t deserve to be on there.”
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) August 9, 2020
Doncic was part of the MVP race for a big part of the season, but he didn’t make the cut for the coveted award. Instead, he’s now the favorite candidate to win the MIP award, which would be his second prize in the league.
To be fair, Graham had a great season, especially when not so many people expected a lot from him. He stepped up when Terry Rozier didn’t play well, averaging 18.2 points this season with 7.5 assists. His shooting, though, remains a big question mark. Graham just shot %38 from the field this season, which doesn’t help his case.
Doncic, on the other hand, went from averaging 21 to 29 points per game. He’s been just great for the Mavericks and the biggest factor here is that he took a team with little to no expectations to compete and make the playoffs. Sure, they won’t win the championship this year but Doncic took his game and his team to the next level.
Remember, he’s just a sophomore and was considered an MVP candidate. That’s something that not everybody can brag about.
Adebayo and Ingram had good years, but Doncic should be a lock to win the MIP award this year.
