At the start of the 2020-21 season, fans and experts alike had Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic as a top MVP candidate. After all, he was poised for another big year following his first taste of playoffs action.

However, six months later, Doncic failed to make the cut for the Top 3 MVP finalists–which went to Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry. The Mavs star, though, couldn't care less.

After leading the Mavs to victory in Game 1 of their Round 1 playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Slovenian youngster got brutally honest and admitted he doesn't really care about the highest individual honor in the NBA. For him, it is and will always be about winning the championship.

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Mavs fans will be happy to hear Luka's latest statement. While they would definitely want to see the 22-year-old compete for the MVP honor, it is pretty much certainly he'll be in consideration for the award in years to come. He's that good.

Dallas has not won any championship since that magical 2011 run that saw Dirk Nowitzki and Co. take down the Miami Heat ‘Big 3' to get the franchise's first ever title. Now, with Luka Doncic in the fold, there is renewed optimism that the team can reach the pinnacle of the sport once again.

Doncic is just in his second straight playoffs appearance with the Mavs, though the improvement he has taken is obvious. Against the Clippers, he recorded a triple-double of 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He was all over the court–shooting threes at will and attacking the rim–and the Clips were unable to stop him at all.

While the Mavs are often overlooked in title conversations, it is not wrong to believe they can compete with the favorites if Luka continues his MVP-caliber play.