NBA insider predicts Luka Doncic's path to MVP after slow start
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are getting back on track. They started the season fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, but it took them a while to find their groove.
Unsurprisingly, some of that had to do with Doncic's fitness. The Slovenian superstar was banged up and seemed slightly out of shape to begin the season, but he's turned the page over the past couple of weeks.
That's why he climbed the MVP ladder and was No. 5 in the first recent MVP poll from "The Hoops Collective" on Thursday.
When discussing that on the episode released on Friday on Youtube, ESPN analyst Tim McMahon acknowledged that it had been a disappointing start to the season for Doncic. However, now that he's worked his way back to good shape, he's a strong candidate to win the award:
"He came in expected to have a great chance to win his first MVP," McMahon said. "He got off to, by his standards, a slow start. And it's not just the stats —he's still elite but the efficiency was way down. They got off to a 5-8 start. It was not a good start to the season for Luka. He has been much better since he was shut down with a wrist (injury) and was able to work on his condition. He has played at an MVP level since that, with the exception of the knockout round (of the Emirates NBA Cup) vs. the Thunder." (Timestamp: 8:47)
The Mavs started the season with a 5-7 record through 12 games and have 12 wins and three losses since.
The analyst continued by stating that if Doncic can keep his foot on the gas, he's going to finish closer to the top once the season is over:
"If what Luka has done since coming back is going to continue, he's going to make this a four-horse (MVP) race," McMahon said.
Luka Doncic says rebounding makes Mavericks 'dangerous'
The Mavericks have already proven to be a dangerous team when they're at their best. While most people talk about their backcourt — and rightfully so —, Doncic believes their big men are the key to their success:
"Our offense has a lot of weapons, but at the end of the day, we've got to rebound the ball, and when we rebound the ball, we're a very dangerous team," the superstar said after the win over the Warriors on Sunday.
Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford make up for one of the most energetic big men tandems in the game. They provide unmatched energy and athleticism on both sides of the ball, giving their offense additional chances and preventing the other team from getting extra shots.
Doncic is averaging 28.9 points, 8.2 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game in 20 appearances. Those numbers should only trend up as he gets in better shape.
After missing five games due to a wrist injury in late November, the Slovenian star returned on fire, averaging 30.8 ppg, 9.3 apg and 10.7 rpb on 52.1/42.6/73.3 shooting in the last six games.