Mavs Star Luka Doncic MVP Favorite Again: Will He Do It This Time?

Luka Doncic could be primed for his best season yet with the Dallas Mavericks.

Heading into the last two seasons, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was the preseason MVP favorite. However, due to sluggish starts, he's finished no higher than fourth in MVP voting both times.

With training camp and the 2022-23 season tip-off right around the corner, Doncic finds himself as the betting favorite to take home the MVP trophy for the third straight year. Will he pull through and finally win it this year? We believe his chances are higher than they've ever been, given that he appears to be in arguably the best NBA shape he's ever been in, paired with the fact that he could be asked to do even more this season with Jalen Brunson no longer on the roster.

We know the stats will be there for Doncic – through four seasons, he's averaged 26.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field. We know Doncic is going to be competitive in the head-to-head matchups with other superstars, as he went 3-2 in head-to-heads against the MVP finalists from last season – Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

When it comes to whether Doncic will win MVP or not, health and team record will likely be the biggest determining factors. The Mavs ended up winning 52 games last year, despite starting 16-18 and Doncic missing 17 games to ankle injuries and COVID protocol absences.

Some might think the increased workload for Doncic could, in turn, increase his chance for injury as well. Although there is some truth to that, staying in tip-top shape is a good way to help avoid some injuries as well.

Getting off to a good start is something the Mavs will need to do in order to help Doncic's chances. In each of the last two seasons, Dallas has been under .500 by the time it got to the 25-game mark. That must change this season, not only for Doncic's individual accolades, but for the Mavs' playoff positioning as well.

No matter what happens, though, Doncic has made it clear that the only award he cares about winning is the Larry O'Brien trophy. Winning MVP is something the fan base and media alike would be excited about ... but after getting to within three games of reaching the NBA Finals, Doncic has his eyes on the biggest prize.

"I always want more. I want to win the ring and hopefully I will get it," said Doncic this summer. "Every season I start, my goal is to win the ring ... I think they look more at rings and what you've won. Records are fine, but winning is the most important thing."

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You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg

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