Is Mavs Star Luka Doncic The NBA MVP Favorite?
DALLAS - Dallas Mavs star Luka Doncic earned an All-NBA First-Team nod last season. This season, will he take another step up - and take home the NBA MVP Award?
No one really knows what to expect for the 2020-21 season amid a pandemic, but that hasn't stopped the oddsmakers from predicting which players will take home honors for the "Big 5" awards categories.
Doncic, via one site, is the current betting favorite to win MVP, with 5-1 odds. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is a close second on the board with 6-1 odds and Steph Curry rounds out the top three.
Derrick Rose holds the record for youngest MVP in league history when he won at age 22. Luka Doncic is currently 21, with a birthday in February.
The only thing higher than the expectations for Doncic? His ceiling.
In his first NBA season, Doncic earned Rookie of the Year by grabbing 98 out of a possible 100 first-place votes. Last season, Doncic led the league with 17 triple-doubles and led the Mavs to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2016. Doncic's playoff debut was a doozy, dropping 42 points with nine assists and seven rebounds.
The Mavs season ended in a Game 6 loss to the L.A. Clippers but the stage has been set for the 2020-21 season and Doncic's third season. You know what they say... Third time is the charm!
[READ: Mavs Camp: Doncic Meets ‘The Dawgs’]
[READ: Luka in Gold: What Doncic Thinks About New Dallas Mavs Uniforms]
The complete lists are below, but here are the favorites from Sports Betting.
MVP: Luka Doncic (5-1)
ROY: James Wiseman (5-1)
DPOY: Giannis Antetokounmpo (5-2)
Coach of the Year: Steve Nash (9-1), Steve Kerr (9-1)
Sixth Man: Spencer Dinwiddie (6-1), Tyler Herro (6-1)
Most Improved: Tyler Herro (12-1)
The preseason schedule (interestingly featuring Luka vs. Giannis) is out, and the 2020-21 NBA regular season is less than a month away. The countdown is on.
