WATCH: Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic - Top 10 NBA MVP Candidate - Dunks on Sixers

Luka Doncic got off to a slow start, but he is heating up for the Dallas Mavericks and has officially entered the NBA MVP discussion.

After finishing fourth and sixth respectively in the last two years of NBA MVP voting, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic wasn’t even on the radar this season due to his slow start.

That appears to have changed, as Doncic made a top-10 appearance on NBA.com’s latest ‘MVP Ladder.’ 

And before we get to the list, speaking of "climbing the ladder'' ...

In Friday's 107-98 win over visiting Philly, Doncic recorded his 44th career triple-double, finishing with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists. He also recorded his third dunk of the season, in spectacular fashion.

“I think I made some good decisions in getting people involved,” said Doncic. “I think I’ve got to make these decisions more often. … I feel better (physically). That’s something I’m really proud of. I’ve just got to (keep getting) better. I feel more explosive and better.”

Like an MVP candidate.

The list is as follows:

1) Joel Embiid, 76ers

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2) Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

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3) Giannis Antetokounmp, Bucks

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4) Chris Paul, Suns

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5) Steph Curry, Warriors

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6) DeMar DeRozan, Bulls

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7) Ja Morant, Grizzlies

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8) Devin Booker, Suns

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9) Luka Doncic, Mavs

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10) Karl-Anthony Towns, Wolves

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Over Doncic’s last eight games, he’s averaging 31.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from three-point range.

Unfortunately for Doncic, though, the Mavs are just 4-4 in that eight game stretch, including back-to-back losses to two of the worst teams in the league. If Doncic, who has lost about 15 pounds since the start of the season, can keep up this pace, and the Mavs can provide him with a little more help while aiming for homecourt in the playoffs, he might find himself even higher on the MVP list after these final 30 games.

Regardless of where Doncic ends up in the final MVP voting tally, it’s pretty much a certainty that he will make his third-consecutive All-NBA team just as it was when he made the All-Star team last night. Whether it’s a First Team or Second Team appearance is not so much of a certainty, though.

Ja Morant’s stellar season for the Memphis Grizzlies could potentially be what bumps Doncic down to the All-NBA Second Team level. However, if the Mavs can find a way to pass the Grizzlies in the standings over these last 30 games (Dallas currently trails Memphis by six games), Doncic should be a favorite to take First Team honors again.


Published
Dalton Trigg
DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.