Luka Doncic slips to 2nd in Kia MVP ladder as Mavericks rough start continues

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic leads the league in scoring at 33.6 points per game. He has been unstoppable to start the year, but the team fell to 10-11 after another inexcusable loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. The Mavs have been plagued by poor shooting, rebounding struggles, and missed free throws.

Luka was the favorite to win MVP entering the season. He is producing the numbers, but the Mavericks have to perform better if they want number 77 to win the award. Making the playoffs is a must and often the Most Valuable Player is on one of the top four teams in his conference. The Mavs are currently 11th in the West and would not even qualify for the play-in tournament.

Doncic was atop NBA.com’s Kia MVP ladder for two straight weeks, but he slipped from the top position on Dec. 2. Here is a look at the shakeup, and how far number 77 fell.

Luka Doncic slips to 2nd in Kia MVP ladder as Mavericks rough start continues

Jayson Tatum jumped into the top spot as he has surged to second in the league in scoring and is leading the Celtics to the second-best record in the league. Tatum is fresh off a 49-point game in a win over the Heat, and that was enough to push him into the lead in the MVP race.

Doncic dropped into a tie for second with Nikola Jokic, but he will keep falling if the Mavericks do not turn it around. The reigning two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Devin Booker are all producing monster numbers and have their teams near the top of their conferences. Doncic must lift his team to victories along with his otherworldly production.

The MVP race is far from decided. There is only one-quarter of the season in the books, and things will change significantly before the award gets handed out. Will the Dallas Mavericks rebound enough to help Luka Doncic win his first NBA MVP honors? Stay tuned to find out.