NBA analyst has all-time awful take about Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks have become one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Dallas has won 11 of their last 12 games and is on a seven-winning streak.

A main part of their success can be attributed to All-Star Luka Doncic. The Mavs star has been on a tear the past two weeks.

Doncic averaged 32.5 points per game in March and was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Week for last week's performance. Some highlights this past week include Doncic recording his 75th career triple-double and tying the Mavericks' single-season record for most 3-pointers.

NBA analyst has all-time awful take about Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic

The Mavs' guard also leads the NBA in points per game with an average of 34 points per game.

So, its no brainer that Doncic is the leading candidate for MVP, right?

Well not necessarily, it seems not everyone is on the Doncic MVP train. Last week, former NBA veteran Jamal Crawford gave his bold take on Luka and his MVP chances.

He stated that Doncic's legacy could drastically improve if the Mavericks win or make the NBA Finals. In simple terms, he based the success of Doncic on the team's success, not the individual.

So who did he have ahead of Luka? Crawford and his colleague Shaquille O'Neal selected Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as their MVP frontrunner.

This is a take Stephen A. Smith seems to also agree with. During First Take Monday, he took a much higher approach than Crawford. He left Luka out of the top four for MVP.

When referencing the MVP race, he is what Smith had to say.

"I think they will give it to Jokic, I would vote for Shai, I have a vote, Jokic would probably be number two. I got to admit to you its a battle for number three between Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson. "

- Stephen A Smith

Smith goes on to state that Doncic is battling for fifth in voting.

However, it might be possible that Smith could be biased because of his New York ties or missing the idea altogether.

The three Western Conference players Smith listed ahead of Luka were Jokic, Shai, and Anthony Edwards. Connection? Well, the three players all have their teams at the top of the standings in the West.

Yet, when you compare their stats to Doncic, it's clear the Mavs star should be ahead or up there with the players mentioned above. For example, when comparing Shai and Luka, it's clear who has the upper hand. This season, Doncic averages 34 points per game, a league-high, and 9.8 assists and 9.1 rebounds. Shai on the other hand is nowhere near averaging a double-double, as he is putting up 30.3 points a game with 6.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The only thing he has ahead of Luka is the number of games played and defensive stats.

As for Edwards and Brunson, they are both averaging less than 28 points per game, so they become irrelevant in this case. The only other player having a higher impact is Jokic.

The Nuggets' star is averaging a double-double with 26.1 points per game and 12.3 rebounds. Not to mention, he is also shooting 57.9 percent overall. Doncic, however, leads him in points scored and steals. Either way, Luka deserves to be in the same category as Jokic. The Nuggets star even credited Luka as deserving of the MVP award.

Smith having Doncic outside of his top four is a joke, and it's unfortunate that Doncic often doens't get the credit he deserves.

Last week, NBA.com released its weekly MVP rankings. Luka came in second on Friday, only trailing Jokic. They argued that Doncic's recent performances are what keeps the Mavs afloat. Jokic's double-double average and team performance keep him ahead of Doncic.

Even so, this does not discredit what Doncic is doing this season. Luka has been magnificent this year. He continues to put on a show daily and is constantly breaking records.

So, to answer the question from before. Yes, Doncic deserves to be MVP this season, or at least be in the same conversation as Jokic.

Only time will tell if Doncic receives the award.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.