Mavs news: Rick Carlisle addresses Luka Doncic's bid for MIP award

Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle is aware of the Most Improved Player talks surrounding Luka Doncic, but he noted that the race is a bit crowded.

There have been whispers that Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is among the players being considered to bag the Most Improved Player award. Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle is aware of these talks, but he noted that the race is a bit crowded.

Per Eddie Sefko of mavs.com, Carlisle doesn't seem too optimistic that Doncic will be crowned Most Improved Player of the Year.

Rick Carlisle said he saw something last week about Luka Doncic in the most-improved player conversation. Was trying to make the case for that without actually asking about it. But Rick made the point. It's a crowded conversation: Sabonis, Ingram, others.

— Eddie Sefko (@ESefko) July 28, 2020

As the Mavs' tactician mentioned, the likes of Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans and Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers are in the running for the MIP award.

Others experts seem to favor Bam Abedayo of the Miami Heat, as he improved in nearly all statistical categories. He also became an All-Star for the first time in his career. More importantly, he has helped the Heat rise in the Eastern Conference as a legitimate title contender.

Nonetheless, Luka Doncic himself is an interesting case. If statistics are concerned, the Slovenian beefed up his numbers from his rookie campaign. This season before the campaign was suspended, he was averaging 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists for the Mavs— all of which are career-highs. He's also shooting better at 46.1 percent from the field.

Nonetheless, the thing about Doncic is that he was actually in the MVP race early on. Some say that he was on pace to become the youngest MVP in NBA history. He was mentioned alongside perennial candidate LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

From the looks of it, Rick Carlisle doesn't seem too concerned about these accolades. He knows that he has a gem in Doncic, and the goal is to develop him further to lead the next dynasty in Dallas. These awards are just bonuses for the Mavs and their rising star.