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Luka Doncic has recorded jaw-dropping numbers throughout the 2023-24 season. He's slowly climbed up the NBA MVP rankings over the past few months. The Dallas Mavericks star did not receive nearly enough attention in the conversation early in the season, but that narrative is changing now. In fact, Doncic is second in the rankings according to NBA.com's MVP rankings, via Michael C. Wright of NBA.com.
Doncic was fourth just a few weeks ago. He was most recently tied for third with Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, he still trailed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic for the top two spots.
Luka's jump to the No. 2 overall spot pushes him past Gilgeous-Alexander, who is now third. Jokic remains first overall, though. The season is winding down, but there's still time for Doncic to surpass Jokic. The Mavericks' final standings placement will be important to monitor when it comes to the conversation.
Can Doncic surpass Jokic?
Jokic's Denver Nuggets currently lead the Western Conference. Dallas, meanwhile, has won nine of their past 10 games as of this story's writing. They have surpassed multiple teams in the standings as a result, and they are now sixth overall in the conference.
The Mavs are just a game and a half behind the fifth place New Orleans Pelicans and two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers. If Dallas can clinch the No. 4 seed, that should help Luka's chances.
Of course, Doncic's numbers are already good enough to make him a serious contender. He cannot be ignored any longer in the MVP conversation. If the Mavs were higher in the standings, Luka Doncic would probably be the NBA MVP favorite.
Of course, Jokic is always in the MVP discussion. The Nuggets star won the award during both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid finally dethroned Jokic in 2022-23, but Jokic still finished second in MVP voting.
He apparently has not suffered from voter fatigue like some stars do. For example, LeBron James probably could have won the MVP almost every season during his prime. He still earned plenty of MVP awards, but other players earned the MVP in some seasons despite LeBron's eye-opening statistics.
Doncic is focused on winning. His primary goal is not to win the award. But he surely wouldn't mind earning the MVP either.
And his case against Jokic is intriguing.
Luka leads the NBA with 33.9 points per game. Jokic is averaging 26.1 points per outing. Doncic is also recording 9.1 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game, while Jokic is averaging 12.2 rebounds and 9.0 assists.
Doncic is more efficient from beyond the arc, but Jokic finds the bottom of the net on a more consistent basis from the field.
Luka Doncic's MVP case
Doncic has led the Mavericks all season long. A few weeks ago, Dallas was struggling and people around the NBA world did not think they had much of a chance to compete. Fast-forward to now and the Mavs are arguably the biggest threat to the Nuggets in the Western Conference.
It goes beyond surface numbers for Luka as he's led Dallas. He and Kyrie Irving have found a way to co-exist alongside one another. The previous “my turn, your turn” narrative has dwindled away amid Dallas' hot stretch.
Irving has been phenomenal as well. In order to win, a team typically needs at least two stars. Denver has Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, while Dallas now has Irving and Doncic. Luka and Kyrie are unquestionably challenging Jokic and Murray for the title of best duo in the NBA.
The Mavs have upgraded their roster. Still, it was Luka who played a pivotal role in keeping the team afloat early in the season when Irving battled injury trouble. Sure, Dallas mostly sat outside of the top six spots in the Western Conference, but they remained competitive.
Without Luka, there's no telling what the 2023-24 campaign would have held for the Mavs, especially when Irving was hurt. When it comes to the Most Valuable Player, Doncic's value cannot be denied. He contributes in multiple facets of the game and understands what it takes to win.
The next couple of weeks will go a long way toward determining the NBA MVP. If Luka Doncic continues to excel and the Mavs keep winning, it would not be surprising to see Doncic emerge as the frontrunner for the award.
