Luka Doncic put together one of the most efficient and dominant offensive performances the NBA has ever seen last Friday, recording 73 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on the road versus the Atlanta Hawks. And yet, it was not enough for the Dallas Mavericks superstar to earn Player of the Week honors in the Western Conference.
Devin Booker joined Giannis Antetokounmpo in winning the award, stunning and infuriating many fans who are convinced more than ever that the league has an agenda against Doncic. Despite posting an inferior shooting percentage and losing to Booker in a head-to-head showdown, the four-time All-NBA First-Team selection objectively had the more robust stat sheet.
Of course, Doncic's week was not solely defined by his basketball greatness, as he made headlines for having a heckling fan removed during Wednesday's home loss to the Phoenix Suns. Plenty of people called the 24-year-old soft for the move, a criticism that was exacerbated by him once again complaining to officials. Naturally, some fans will believe that the NBA punished the Mavericks guard for these negative optics by not naming him Player of the Week.
Regardless of why Devin Booker was recognized instead of Luka Doncic, The Association is getting plenty of backlash for the decision.
Luka vs. Booker
I mean it's no knock on Booker because he had a hell of a week. But it doesn't come close to what Luka did. Imagine Labron putting these numbers up and NOT getting Player of the Weekš¤£ yeah that would never happen. #EndtheLukaHate #NBA #MFFL pic.twitter.com/UiKPy6SPUEā š ±ļøig š» Spšrts ā (@BigDSports24_7) January 30, 2024
Let me see if Iām getting this right. Luka averaged a 40+ point triple double for the week, but Booker get Player of the Week? The Luka hate is real in the #NBA #MFFL
ā āā šš øš ¼ āā (@Sporty_meteor) January 30, 2024
Luka scored the most points in a game since 2006 and became the only player in NBA history to average a 50 point triple double over two games he couldnāt even get player of the week š https://t.co/sCzHdyL7VV
ā Jo (@MavsStan41) January 29, 2024
Luka is taking the NBA hate personal, and teams shld prepare themselves for the wrath he abt to unleash for losing to Booker Western Conf player of the Week.
ā Razifohnas (@razifohnas) January 30, 2024
Is the NBA taking Mavericks' Luka Doncic for granted?
The on-court rivalry between Booker and Doncic is well-documented, so this should especially be a blow to Mavs fans. In addition to Phoenix besting Dallas, it is possible team record also played a factor in the process. The Suns split their four games while the Mavericks went 1-3.
When taking into account all those factors, one can possibly see an argument for Booker, but averaging a 40-point-plus triple-double is an absurd feat that cannot be ignored. In an era when offensive versatility is significantly emphasized, Doncic's historic numbers should be particularly notable.
If the head-to-head battle and overall team record were sticking points, then maybe Co-Players of the Week could have been awarded in the West. Expect this to galvanize Mavericks fans everywhere and motivate Luka Doncic for Thursday, Feb.22- the next time Devin Booker and the Suns visit the American Airlines Center.
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