Luka Doncic Plummets Outside Top 5 of NBA MVP Ladder
Entering the 2022-23 season, a common MVP frontrunner pick was Luka Doncic. After leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals, he was set to put up massive numbers with the most prestigious of NBA hardware for individual excellence to show for it.
In NBA.com's weekly MVP ladder, Doncic fell from his prior ranking of No. 3 overall to outright dropping out of the top five altogether. He is now tied for sixth with Zion Williamson with a now healthy Joel Embiid quickly gaining on him after previously being unranked.
Doncic wouldn't be considered a top MVP finalist if the season ended today despite averaging 33.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.7 steals. Why? The Mavs rank 9th in the Western Conference standings with a 14-14 record.
It shouldn't be difficult to win at a high level with a talent making such a strong impact as Doncic has. Somehow, the Mavs enter Friday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers with a .500 record.
Doncic, 23, sat out two games due to load management and those games are practically automatic losses when he doesn't play. The Mavs are 0-2 in those circumstances. Even when Doncic plays, Dallas is 14-12 on the season.
With Maxi Kleber sidelined for at least six weeks, it remains to be seen how well the Mavs' defense will hold up. The unit has already experienced significant slippage as of late with Kleber and Josh Green sidelined, losing Kleber for an extended period undoubtedly will hurt.
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