Dallas Mavs Coach Jason Kidd Reveals How Luka Doncic Can Win NBA MVP

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic has become an annual preseason NBA MVP candidate. What does he need to do to win the honor?

DALLAS — When forecasting the annual NBA MVP race, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic tends to be a popular choice among experts. He has yet to win the honor but has been named All-NBA First-Team in four consecutive seasons. After averaging 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists last season, what does Doncic need to do to solidify himself as this year's MVP?

The path for Doncic to achieve the league's highest individual is simple in the eyes of Mavs coach Jason Kidd. It'll come down to two things: winning and staying healthy. 

“Luka is one of the best players in the world, so he’s always going to be mentioned as an MVP candidate,” Kidd said. “For him, it’s about being healthy.

“Again, last year’s numbers – 30 (points), eight (rebounds) and eight (assists) — those are like video game numbers, and he’s doing it at a high level. We also have to win. So, if we can do those two things – that’s him being healthy and us winning — he can end up with that MVP trophy.”

Jason Kidd is entering his third season as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Mavs never managed to maintain a high degree of success last season, but it all worsened rapidly after the All-Star break. The team posted a 38-44 record and missed the play-in tournament while fined $750,000 for tanking the season's final two games. 

There is optimism about what the Mavs can achieve after undergoing plenty of offseason roster changes and retaining Kyrie Irving in free agency. Dallas added Grant Williams, Derrick Jones Jr., Dante Exum, and Seth Curry as veteran pickups. The team used the NBA Draft to bring Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper into the fold. 

“It’s a new team; we’ve got a lot of new faces, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re all on the same page offensively and defensively,” Kidd said. “The Western Conference is deep, so we’ve got to bring our ‘A’ game every night, and we’ve got to be healthy.

“So, when you look at Kai and Luka, we feel we’re in a good seat. We need our role players to play at a high level, and if we can do that, hopefully, we’re one of the top teams in the West.”

The Mavs begin the 2023-24 season with a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 25 — a team led by elite prospect Victor Wembanyama, who was selected using the top overall pick in this year's NBA Draft.