Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic Gets Nikola Jokic’s MVP Endorsement

Doncic is the reason why the Mavericks are even competing for a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference, but in the MVP race, many put him behind the likes of Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Some even have Jayson Tatum above him, which speaks volumes of how much the Slovenian is overlooked.

The 25-year-old is putting up near triple-double averages of 34.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. Nonetheless, those were not enough to convince fans and media alike that he’s the clear-cut Most Valuable Player in the league.

Sure enough, it doesn’t help his case that the Mavericks are a play-in team with the season winding down. Had they been a Top 4 seed, things would have probably been different.

Nonetheless, a case could be made that without Doncic, the Mavericks would probably be one of the bottom teams in the league. Unlike the other candidates who have a deep team around them, Doncic doesn’t really get that luxury.

While Doncic has Kyrie Irving alongside him, his help pales in comparison to the other MVP frontrunners.

With that being said, Jokic shared his belief that Doncic deserves the award more than he’s being given credit for it. Unfortunately, the Serbian knows that it’s not really up to him to decide on the award.

“I think he deserves the MVP 100 percent. But it’s not my decision, to be honest,” Jokic said about Doncic during the ABC broadcast, via Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban.

Luka Doncic Shows Nikola Jokic Who’s MVP

For what it’s worth, Luka Doncic definitely stepped up big time for the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday to propel the team to victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

In the battle of MVP candidates, Doncic outshined his friend, tallying 37 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. In contrast, Jokic made just 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

While Irving was the hero of the game with his buzzer-beater to take the 107-105 win, it wouldn’t have been possible without Doncic. The five-time All-Star drained the game-tying 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to pave the way for Irving’s finishing touch.

It’s definitely an incredible win for Doncic and the Mavericks, further highlighting how deserving Luka is to be in the MVP conversation.