Former NBA star drops bold Luka Doncic and Mavericks take, but he's missing the point

Last month, Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic was voted the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Month. This was the fourth time Doncic received the award, and he has continued this high level of play into this month.

There's no question if Dallas' star was worthy of the award, as he averaged a near triple-double in February with 33.4 points per game, 10.3 rebounds, and 9.7 assists. Doncic also shot 51.7 percent from the field that month

In January, Doncic broke his career scoring record when he scored 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks. This is the fourth-most points scored in a game in NBA history.

Former NBA star drops bold Luka Doncic and Mavericks take, but he's missing the point

So, its safe to say Doncic is the favorite to win MVP right?

Well, it depends on who you ask. On Monday, USA Today released their weekly MVP rankings, with Doncic coming at four. The three players ahead of him included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic.

This is a take from former NBA star Jamal Crawford seems to agree with. In a pregame analysis Tuesday, Crawford and his coworker Shaquille O'Neal selected Gilgeous-Alexander as their favorite to win MVP.

However, whenever you look at Crawford's argument above it's possible he might be missing the main idea about Doncic.

The take can be looked at in two different ways. First, the MVP award itself. The award is given to a player who performs well during the regular season. For example, during the 2008-2009 season, Lebron James won the MVP award, even though his team lost in the second round to the Boston Celtics. The same thing goes for Russell Westbrook during the 2016-2017 campaign. That season he averaged 31.6 points per game and won the top NBA award, even though his team was swept in the first round. The award has nothing to do with the playoffs.

So, how is it that Doncic's MVP chances hinge on the Mavericks' performance in the playoffs? Why would Crawford bring up this year's playoffs as a way for Doncic to prove himself when he already has?

Since coming into the league, Luka has had five all-star appearances and been named to five straight All-NBA First Teams.

Not to mention he also won Rookie of the Year in 2019. Doncic played a key role in helping Dallas advance to the first Western Conference in 2022, a first since the 2010-2011 season.

This month, he became the first player to have six-straight 30-point triple-doubles.

Yet, NBA voters and analysts continue to overlook Doncic.

Players such as Joel Embiid and Gilgeous-Alexander continue to be ranked ahead of Doncic for MVP. Last season, Embiid won MVP, yet he hosts a 27-26 playoff record. One thing to note is even before the injuries he struggled to help the 76ers reach the conference finals.

The same argument can be made for Gilgeous-Alexander. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is high on the MVP list, yet has failed to experience true playoff success.

If you remember, both Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander came into the league at the same time. Doncic however, leads the OKC star in almost every NBA award. This season, the Mavs' star also averages 3.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 more assists than Shai.

Either way, the message is clear: Luka Doncic should be the front-runner for MVP. Its clear he has checked all the requirements needed for the award.

Frontrunner Nikola Jokic even believes Doncic is deserving of the award.

So, what are voters waiting for? Why not let this be Doncic's year? What more must he prove?

For more updates on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, stay tuned.