One of the award races that will assuredly go down to the wire this season in the NBA is for the league’s MVP. Many players can stake a legitimate claim to take the award home this season, but one player is sticking out in particular in the recent rankings.
That one player is Dallas Mavericks superstar, Luka Doncic. In the Kia NBA MVP Ladder shared by Michael C. Wright over at NBA.com this week, Doncic has moved into the No. 2 spot behind Denver Nuggets star center, Nikola Jokic.
Right behind Doncic on the list is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped from the No. 2 spot. Rounding out the top five is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was tied for third with Doncic last week, and Jayson Tatum.
While Jokic looks to be the betting favorite to win the award for a third time, he isn’t going to run away with it. There are about 10 games left in the season and things could change, especially with positioning in the standings still up for grabs and team success is something voters use to cast their ballots.
“The number of 30-point triple-doubles for five-time All-Star Doncic, which ranks third in NBA history. The 25-year-old has more 30-point triple-doubles than four active players (LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and James Harden) that own a combined nine MVP awards,” wrote Wright.
The Mavericks are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference thanks to a 9-1 stretch they are riding. The only loss during that span was when Doncic had to miss a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of a sore left hamstring.
Dallas has an excellent chance of cementing that spot in the standings when they play against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, one of the teams jostling for that last spot outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament. A win there would not only go a long way in securing a playoff spot but improving Doncic’s case to take home the MVP award.
With Jokic and the Nuggets showing no real signs of slowing down, Doncic will have to do something special to surpass him in the NBA MVP Ladder. Adding to his 30-point triple-double total while the Mavericks continue stacking victories would be a great place to start on that journey.
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