Dallas Mavericks: ESPN says Luka Doncic third in MVP poll

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic finished third in a poll conducted by ESPN about who is winning the MVP award right now.

The Dallas Mavericks have won four straight and nine of their last ten games. Luka Doncic is leading the way for the team. The reigning Rookie of the Year has pushed his way into the MVP conversation.

Doncic has been absolutely incredible. He is averaging 30.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 3.1 3-pointers made in 33.7 minutes per game. Luka is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 81.5 percent on his free throws. His astonishing play led him to win the NBA’s Player of the Month for October/November.

Doncic is clearly in the MVP race, but where does he stand?

Luka third according to ESPN

ESPN got 101 media members to vote on their top-five for the Most Valuable Player award to mark the quarter point of the regular season. Fans can read the entire article here.

There were only four legit candidates. James Harden finished fourth with 444 points. Pascal Siakam was fifth at 52. Luka Doncic earned 569 including 14 first-place votes en route to finishing third in the poll. Giannis Antetokounmpo holds a comfortable lead in the race with 803 points. LeBron James finished second with 651.

What it means

ESPN’s poll is a strong sign for Luka Doncic. Voters are always going to be a bit skeptical about a 20 game sample. The fact that he is already ahead of James Harden and comfortably in contention is favorable. If Luka keeps it up, he should only gain votes as the season progresses.

Nobody expected Doncic to be in this position. He is literally the best 20-year-old in NBA history. No player that young is in the thick of MVP race. It has been incredible.

Dallas Mavericks fans should consider themselves lucky to have Luka Doncic on the team. He has the team in the thick of the playoff race after three years of missing out too. The future is bright. It is going to be an exciting run with Doncic at the helm.