The Dallas Mavericks struggled to find their sense of identity in the first half of last season. Before 2022 began, Dallas had a 17-18 record and was eighth in the Western Conference.
Part of their struggle was the performance and unavailability of Luka Doncic. In October, Doncic averaged 22.5 points, four points below his career average. He also missed a handful of games due to ankle injuries and NBA COVID protocols.
As the season progressed, the Mavs star increased his performance, averaging 28.4 points. In the playoffs, he bumped that up to 31.2 points.
After a disappointing loss to the Golden State Warriors, Doncic wasted no time putting in work. He slimmed down working with Slovenian trainer Anze Macek.
NBA veteran Jalen Rose took notice, as he believes the new-look Doncic will take the NBA by storm.
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“Luka being in the best shape of his life is going to be a game changer not only for the Mavs but for the NBA,” Rose said.
On the Jalen and Jacoby show, Rose ranked the Slovenian All-Star No. 1 on the “Best Shape of my Life” list. Other names on the list included: James Harden, Anthony Davis and Dak Prescott.
“You see videos of him training and based on that don’t be surprised if he balls the way he balled last year in the playoffs,” Rose said. “I don’t know what Vegas says, but he’s in pole position for winning MVP this year.”
Last season Doncic finished fifth in the MVP race. Entering the season, he had the best odds, but his lackluster performance in the first half of the season took its toll.
In recent ESPN projections, the three-time All-Star is predicted to finish second in MVP. The favorite is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Doncic now looks to take his game to the next level. Vegas odds have him tied with Joel Embiid as the favorite to win MVP.
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