Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic deserves MVP votes this season

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic deserves MVP votes this season

Dallas Mavericks supporters watched Luka Doncic blossom into a superstar before the NBA suspended play because of the novel coronavirus back in March. The reigning Rookie of the Year jumped to another stratosphere in his second season. Luka led the NBA in triple-doubles and had Dallas back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Doncic played in his first All-Star game and should be on the All-NBA team for the first time after the season’s restart in Orlando. The 21-year-old averaged 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game. The Mavs were 34-20 in games Luka played this season.

The incredible leap should have Luka Doncic on MVP ballots. The NBA announced that the eight seeding games in Orlando will not count for the awards, so writers have been publishing their ballots. ESPN’s Zach Lowe did not have Doncic in his top five. The same for The Athletic’s John Hollinger (subscription required).

Why Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic deserves MVP votes this season

Doncic not receiving an MVP vote from either is a mistake. Fans can read what turned out to be my final MVP ballot here. It was published back in March just after the shutdown. Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves to win the award. He was the best player this season. LeBron James is a comfortable second. Luka Doncic and James Harden should be third and fourth in the voting.

Here are five reasons why Doncic deserves to get an MVP vote on every ballot this season.

Next: No. 5