Mavericks news: Luka Doncic picked to win MVP and Clutch POY in media survey, more

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has been the best player in the NBA during the first half of the regular season. He leads the league in scoring, and Luka produced a never before seen 60-point 20-rebound triple-double against the Knicks on Dec. 27. His play made him a fixture in the NBA’s midseason media survey.

Doncic was the favorite to win MVP and the Clutch Player of the Year award along with winning the best game and play of the first half. He also ranked as the best point guard, and Luka was second in which player forces the most coaching adjustments. The Mavs ranked as the tenth-best team in the survey.

Doncic was a runaway winner for Clutch Player of the Year as he received 47 percent of the vote and no other player got more than 13 percent. He earned 43 percent of the MVP votes with Nikola Jokic grabbing 40 percent. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum tied for third at seven percent. Expect the MVP race to remain tight all season.

More Mavericks news

The Ringer updated their Player Rankings on Jan. 10, and Luka Doncic landed as the fourth-best player. Fellow Mavericks Christian Wood and Spencer Dinwiddie also cracked the top 100.

The Mavericks earned a B grade on their midseason report card done by NBA.com. Fans can see grade for every Western Conference team here.

The Athletic’s Tim Cato graded every Maverick (subscription required) at the midway point of the season, including giving Luka Doncic an A-plus, in a must-read article for every MFFL.

NBA news

Stephen Curry is expected to return on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns. He missed 11 consecutive games with a shoulder injury, but the superstar point guard returned to practice on Monday, and he will play in the coming days.

Kevin Durant is expected to miss one month of action with an MCL sprain after Jimmy Butler awkwardly fell on his leg. The Nets have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, but how will they fare without KD?

The Dallas Mavericks face the LA Clippers on Tuesday night. Will Luka Doncic hand the Clippers their seventh consecutive loss, or does LA snap their skid against the Mavs? Tune in to find out.