As we approach the halfway point of this NBA season, Luka Doncic is in the mix for one of the biggest individual awards. He entered the year as a favorite to win MVP, and is backing it up with some incredible performances.
The Dallas Mavericks find themselves in fourth place in the standings thanks to their star player. Over his past seven games, Luka Doncic has posted absurd averages of 41.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.9 assists. During this stretch, he also recorded the first 60-20-10 game in history.
When Jalen Brunson departed in free agency, many expected Doncic’s stats to take a bump. As the focal point of the Mavericks’ offense, everything runs solely through him on a nightly basis. The result is the All-Star point guard averaging a career-high 34.3 points to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 8.9 assists.
Following this impressive start to the season, The Ringer’s Michael Pena believes that Doncic should be in the running for not just MVP:
“Doncic also deserves serious consideration for another award, one that captures just how remarkably proficient his fifth season has been, even relative to the first four remarkably proficient seasons of his career: Most Improved Player.
“Luka’s ceiling is still somewhere above the clouds.”
Should Luka Doncic be in the mix for Most Improved Player this season?
While there is no denying that Luka Doncic has taken a massive step forward, he should not enter the MIP race. Not because he doesn’t deserve it, but because that award is for a different kind of player.
When Luka Doncic entered the league in 2018, many expected him to be one of the top players of his generation. From the moment he stepped on an NBA court, he showed the potential to be a superstar for years to come.
In the past, the Most Improved Player award was not handed out to high-level players. When Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant won last year, the decision was met with a lot of backlash. Primarily because Morant was a former No. 2 pick who many expected to make a big leap at some point.
Typically, the award is for players who advance their game to a degree most didn’t see coming. Some prime examples include Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pascal Siakam.
What Doncic is doing is nothing short of incredible, but his potential was always there. If the award continues to go to players like this, it will start to lose its luster. That is why voters should aim to keep him only on MVP ballots once the season is over.
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