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Luka Doncic, Brandon Ingram headline NBA Most Improved Player Ladder

By Phil Watson

NBA Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic Minnesota Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBA Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic Minnesota Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NBA Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic
NBA Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /

79. . . . Luka Doncic. 1. player

Only one player in NBA history has been named Most Improved Player and later won the NBA MVP award — Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, who was MIP in 2016-17 and MVP two seasons later in 2018-19.

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks may be trying to write his own page in the history books as he could stake a decent claim to both honors this season.

The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year won’t even be 21 until the end of February, but he’s doing some things that second-year players don’t often do.

Like averaging 30.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.2 assists in 33.7 minutes per game while shooting .478/.327/.815. It is a very short list of players to average at least 30 points, 10 boards and nine dimes per game in a season. Doncic would be the third player to do so, joining Oscar Robertson in 1960-61 and 1961-62 and Russell Westbrook in 2016-17.

rookie ladder. Clarke rising fast. light

Doncic is currently third in the NBA in scoring, 13th in rebounding and second in assists. That is after putting up 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 32.2 minutes a night last season on a shooting line of .427/.327/.713.

Per 36 minutes, the differences become a bit less stark, but it’s still 32.3 points (23.7 last season), 10.8 rebounds (8.7), 9.9 assists (6.7) and 1.5 steals (1.2).

Next. NBA's 20 most promising young duos. dark

Should he continue to score at this pace, Doncic would become the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 30 points per game. This is his age-20 season (player’s age as of Feb. 1), while Kevin Durant and LeBron James both turned the trick in their age-21 seasons.