Luka Doncic is 23 years old and already finds himself right at the top of the NBA. The Slovenian phenom has been named as the NBA’s 3rd best player on ESPN’s list and was unanimously picked by NBA executives as the No. 1 player to build a franchise around at this time. Doncic has the world at his feet, having just carried the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals last season, and he is expected to have an even bigger season in 2022-23.
Luka has been named to the All-NBA First Team 3 seasons in a row, and he has been a pre-season favorite for MVP for the last 2 years. However, his trademark slow starts thanks to fitness have seen Doncic miss out on the award, with Nikola Jokic getting it instead. But he played in the EuroBasket this offseason and is already training with the Mavericks, so it seems that Luka will start the season in shape. And this has led to some interesting takes before the season begins.
Luka Doncic Got The Most Votes To Win MVP Next Season In A Survey Of NBA GMs
As a part of the season previews, the NBA released a survey of General Managers across the league answering questions. These included questions about which team is most likely to win the championship, what players are best at their position, and so on. There was also a question about which player would win the MVP next season. And Luka Doncic received more votes from GMs than any other player.
Who will win the 2022-23 Kia MVP?
1. Luka Doncic, Dallas – 48%
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee – 34%
3. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia – 14%
4. Stephen Curry, Golden State – 3%
Luka Doncic received nearly half the votes with 48%, with a healthy lead over Giannis Antetokounmpo. 34% of GMs across the league do seem to think that Giannis Antetokounmpo will win his third award also though, so he remains one of the favorites.
Joel Embiid has come incredibly close for the last two years, but it seems not many anticipate that he will be a favorite again. Stephen Curry has also gotten some votes, but that seems negligible. The list omits the likes of Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James, all of whom will believe they have a chance of winning the award as well. It remains on Doncic to perform though, both individual stats and team success will be necessary for him to bag the honor at the age of 24.
