Mavs Star Luka Doncic in MVP Form Entering 2022-23 Season
The Dallas Mavericks understand that a strong start to the 2022-23 season will be vital given the improvement in the competition in the Western Conference. Given the team's impressive playoff run, they will also have a target on their backs on a nightly basis.
The Mavs' success starts with Luka Doncic given his ability to elevate a group in ways that few, if any, can match. If he's playing at his peak, he can give his team a chance. Whether it's for Slovenia against international competition or the Mavs.
There were some questions about workload for Doncic after playing in a long Western Conference Finals run then participating in EuroBasket with Slovenia. It was a point of emphasize to find proper balance in training camp and it's seemingly paid off.
Doncic put on a show in the near 18 minutes that he played in his preseason debut against the Orlando Magic. He scored 10 of his 16 points in roughly 3.5 minutes while also racking up five assists. He was making plays in the paint with ease, making tough 3s, and creating lots of great looks for teammates.
“He was the MVP tonight,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “He looked great. Going the full quarter there in the first, being able to control the game and get to the basket, shoot the three. I thought he did great on both ends of the floor.”
Doncic has already proven to be one of the best box score stuffers in the NBA given he averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists last season. What can he do to win his first MVP award? Continued growth will need to take place beyond the stat sheet, even if it's harder for observers to identify, but ultimately, it comes down to winning.
“The short answer is trust in your teammates,” Kidd said. “Uplifting your teammates, putting them in a position to be successful. The stats – points, rebounds, assists – they’re going to get those. But how can they help others have a better season? That’s the short answer: how can you make your teammates better?
“But winning, you’re always measured on winning. And the best are measured with that gold trophy.”
Doncic's teammates have noticed continued development in how he counters significant defensive attention. A significant factor differentiating factor from other superstars is his passing ability as a counter in addition to his overall scoring arsenal.
“I feel like he gets easier shots,” Mavs forward Dorian Finney-Smith said. "He always gets easy shots for everybody else. But for himself, he posted up a lot more last year. And also, J-Kidd does a good job of making it easier for him.
“All he can do is pay attention to details, how teams are guarding him. They’re pushing him right. So he’ll figure that out. You can’t show superstars the same look the whole game. They’ll figure it out, unless they don’t want to pass. We got one that loves to pass.”
The conditions are in place for Doncic to have the best season of his NBA career. He's entering the season in great shape and clearly has maintained an incredible rhythm by staying busy in the offseason with EuroBasket. His preseason debut was just the first look at what could be an MVP campaign.
