Luka Doncic was understandably frightened and quick to rush away after seeing a live snake at the Mavericks‘ media day photo shoot. Dereck Lively, the Mavericks young center, was very comfortable with the snake and joked that he wanted to see Doncic’s reaction. Upon seeing the snake, Doncic immediately started walking away.
“No, no, no.”
"No, No, No."
Luka Doncic's reaction to the Mavs bringing a snake to media day 🐍😂
(via @dallasmavs)pic.twitter.com/6EkTjvgqos
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 1, 2024
Understandably, Doncic was scared after seeing a snake, especially on media day, when almost no one would expect to see one. Snakes are very dangerous reptiles, and Doncic understood that and chose to walk away very quickly, rather than play with the snake.
Hopefully, this is where the fears end for Luka Doncic, as he needs to enter the new NBA season as confident as ever if the Mavericks want to have a strong run. Doncic has all the reason to be confident, as he is coming off what may have been his best season in the NBA so far, both as an individual and as part of the Mavericks.
Luka Doncic had a great year last season, averaging 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds with the Mavericks. He made his fifth All-NBA first team, was named an All-Star, and finished third in the MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In the playoffs, Doncic was phenomenal, leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. While the Mavs were outmatched by the Celtics in the NBA Finals, there was no denying just how great the Mavs had been leading up to that point during the playoffs.
The Mavericks are looking to return to the NBA Finals next season, and have made moves in the offseason to make that possible, adding Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall to the squad, making them one of the strongest outfits in the Western Conference.
Can Luka Doncic Finally Win MVP?
Next season presents the best opportunity Luka Doncic has ever had to win the NBA MVP. Over the last five years, Doncic has always had incredible regular-season statistics, often being one of the highest scorers in the league while averaging close to a triple-double.
But what has held him back in the MVP race all those years is the Mavericks’ record. Over the last five seasons, the Mavericks have only finished in the top five of the Western Conference three times, with their highest seeding during these years being the fourth seed in 2022.
To be able to win MVP, a player must be on a team that has close to a top-three seed in their conference. Of course, there are exceptions, most recently being Nikola Jokic in the 2021-22 season, as he and the Nuggets finished as the sixth seed. But that season, he singlehandedly carried the team, as both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were out with season-long injuries.
A top-three finish in the Western Conference, if coupled with stats similar to or better than what Doncic has averaged in the last few years, would give him a massive advantage over other competitors in the MVP race. But the Mavericks must be able to secure a high seed, especially given the talent that they have on their roster.
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