Last night, the Dallas Mavericks suffered what may have been their worst loss of the year, losing 108-94 to the Memphis Grizzlies in an offensive slugfest. Dallas only scored less than 100 points twice all season, so it was clear that Luka Doncic was missing from the team.
Given that he and his fiancée welcomed their first child into the world yesterday, Doncic’s absence was justified, but it might have strengthened his case for MVP. With the exception of last night, Doncic has participated in every Mavericks game this season, averaging 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists in 17 games.
How Luka Doncic of the Mavericks ascended the MVP rankings without ever playing
Since moving to Dallas, Doncic’s physical condition has improved significantly. Fortunately, he overcame a few minor setbacks early in the season to have one of his more reliable starts ever. Doncic is making 38.8% of his 3-point shots, but many of them are being hotly challenged.
Despite becoming in better shape this past offseason, Doncic has come under fire for not attempting to get to the rim more. However, if he is shooting this well from downtown, you can’t blame him for using his shooting prowess to open up his drive-and-kick ability rather than the other way around.
As demonstrated last night, Kyrie Irving was the target of the Memphis Grizzlies’ face-guarding strategy. Without Doncic to relieve the pressure, Irving and the other Mavericks players found it extremely difficult to transition into their offensive sets.
Although Doncic would not be considered for MVP if he played fewer than 70 games, it is evident that he cannot miss too many games in his quest. However, when Doncic is out from a game, it always shows how weak the Mavericks offense is.
Since the Mavericks performed so poorly without him, maybe this will lead to greater recognition for Doncic’s MVP campaign in the eyes of the national media. After all, commentators around the league have begun to see Irving and Doncic’s ability to lead the Mavericks as a potent combination.
Nonetheless, Doncic will have an opportunity to advance his MVP candidacy tonight when Dallas plays the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8:00 p.m. CDT. Keep checking back because we’ll have more on Luka Doncic’s MVP candidacy and all the other Dallas Mavericks news.
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