"Open your eyes, your hearts and your vote" - Nick Wright claims Luka Doncic has all but locked the MVP award, says he is "surging" towards the honor
Luka Doncic once again proved his brilliance after he dropped 37 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 113-11 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
The Slovenian has put up some top-notch performances in the past two months and is making his way into MVP conversations. He definitely has the support of Nick Wright. The analyst praised Doncic for his selfless play on the last possession.
Wright pointed out how Doncic's Mavs (43-26) have a better record than other MVP candidates' teams. On "First Things First," Wright said:
"Open your eyes, open your hearts and most importantly open your vote to the possibility that you did watch the league MVP last night. You did watch him not only drop 37-9-9, but at the end of the game – despite what Ric Bucher and other old school basketball guys say, 'I want the best player making the last shot' – no, no, no, you want the best player to make the best play."
"Open your eyes, your hearts & your vote to the possibility that Luka is the the league MVP. Not only did he drop 37-9-9 on the Nets, at the end of the game he was the best player making the best play. He is surging towards the MVP." — @getnickwright https://t.co/IIIOG8ZUbr
Doncic was named the NBA's Player of the Month for February after he averaged 34.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game.
His play has helped Dallas to a tie with the Utah Jazz for fourth place in the West. The No. 4 seed gets homecourt advantage in the first-round of the playoffs.
In the latest MVP charts, Doncic was ranked seventh behind Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan and Jayson Tatum. His performance against the Nets will help him make a push.
Wright said:
"He is surging after the Player of the Month in February. He is trying to win Player of the Month in March and then player of the year called MVP.
"Did you know, they're now the fourth seed? Did you know they're on pace for 51 wins? Did you know they have more wins than (analyst Chris) Broussard's MVP, the Sixers (42-26)? Hmm, that they are only one win behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis (44-26), hmmm?"
Luka Doncic tonight:
37 Points
9 Rebounds
9 Assists
2 Steals
54% FG https://t.co/WLQmKnu0wj
Can Luka Doncic win the MVP award this season?
Luka Doncic has been a man on a mission. The 23-year-old has shown immense maturity in his fourth season. He is leading the Mavs into their third consecutive playoff appearance. Although he started slowly, the youngster picked up the pace. Since the start of 2022, he has been a big problem for opposing defenders.
With the Mavs losing Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.2 ppg) to a fracture in his foot on Jan. 25, more of the offensive burden has shifted to Doncic. He has thrived under this situation and is emerging as a strong MVP candidate. The Slovenian faces competition from Jokic and Embiid. Both are on a tear, and Doncic will have to overpower them to win the award.
Luka Doncic & Spencer Dinwiddie were the winning combination for the @dallasmavs. Luka found Dinwiddie in the closing moments for the #TissotBuzzerBeater and the Mavs WIN! #MFFL
@luka7doncic: 37 PTS, 9 REB, 9 AST, 2 STL, 5 3PM
@SDinwiddie_25: 22 PTS, 4 REB https://t.co/TMD79SWboC
The Mavs have 13 games left. If Doncic can continue delivering high-octane performances like the one against the Nets, he will make the MVP race interesting.