Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić Recognized as NBA’s Leading Point Guard, Surpassing Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander…
This further demonstrates why Dončić should not have placed third in last year’s MVP voting.
Throughout the 2023-24 season, the MVP race was largely focused on Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, despite Luka Dončić’s impressive stats for the Dallas Mavericks. Jokic ended up winning his third MVP in four years, although figures like Shaquille O’Neal argued that the award should have gone to Gilgeous-Alexander, leaving Dončić in a distant third place.
Since the Mavericks’ impressive run to the NBA Finals, there’s been some reevaluation of the MVP race. Dončić has since received the ESPY for Best NBA Player and is gaining more recognition.
HoopsHype has put together a ranking of the top 30 point guards for the upcoming season, placing Luka Dončić at number one, ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Frank Urbina of HoopsHype shared his thoughts on the Slovenian star:
“Given Luka Dončić’s recent season and his extensive career achievements, it was a straightforward choice to rank him as the top point guard in our list.”
“Dončić finished third in the MVP voting for the 2023-24 season, marking his highest career finish, after leading the league in scoring with an average of 33.9 points per game. He also recorded 9.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three-point range, which was his best percentage to date.
“Dončić ranked second in the league for both BPM and VORP and, after the trade deadline, helped transform the Mavericks into serious contenders. This proved accurate as he guided Dallas to the NBA Finals through a challenging Western Conference.
“Overall, the 25-year-old continues to enhance his game each year, an impressive achievement considering he’s already earned five consecutive 1st Team All-NBA selections.”
“Since the year 2000, the only players to earn 1st Team All-NBA honors for five consecutive years are Dončić, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and Dwight Howard, placing Dončić among a select group. Of this elite group, only Dončić and Howard have not won an MVP award, with Howard’s frequent All-NBA selections partly due to the weaker center position during his era. Dončić’s achievement is even more impressive given the current competitive landscape and his young age.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if Dončić were to secure his first MVP award now that he has a strong supporting cast.
Mavs fans have long recognized Dončić’s talent since he was drafted, as he’s led subpar rosters to the playoffs and conference finals. With the addition of Kyrie Irving as a true co-star and a solid supporting cast, Dončić is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”
Former Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson ranks third on the list, having emerged as a standout player since joining the New York Knicks.
