Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic is the way-too-early MVP favorite

With reports that the NBA season could begin as soon as December 22nd, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is the early betting favorite for MVP.

The NBA may be returning on December 22nd (or a month later on January 18th, if the league’s stars get their way), and when it does we may see a season with a brand new MVP. After back-to-back MVP seasons from Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, the betting favorite (for at least one sportsbook) for the 2020-21 award is Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.

According to BetOnline, Doncic is a 5/1 favorite to win MVP next season, followed by both Antetokounmpo and LeBron James at 6/1, Stephen Curry at 7/1 and James Harden at 8/1.

Of all these players, Doncic may have the most straightforward path to the award. Antetokounmpo may suffer from voter fatigue after two straight wins. James may take time off to recover from a grueling NBA Finals run in the bubble, especially if the season begins on December 22nd. Curry’s Warriors will be hard-pressed to finish high enough in the standings for MVP considerations, as will Harden’s Rockets.

On the other hand, Doncic took a major leap forward from his already near-MVP level play in the bubble, dragging his Dallas Mavericks to a six-game defeat at the hands of the LA Clippers. You can expect him to be even better next year going into his third season in the NBA, and with another year under his belt alongside Kristaps Porzingis.

This past season he was already the driving force behind the league’s most potent offense, and one of the most efficient offenses in NBA history. Considering the obstacles facing the field of his toughest competitors, even just a marginal improvement could be all that takes to push him to the 2020-21 MVP award.

In 2019-20, Doncic averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game with an effective field goal percentage of 53.1 percent and a usage of 36.8. He’s high efficiency on high usage, and he won’t turn 22 until February. By that point in time, he could well be the runaway favorite for the MVP award and the Mavericks might be one of the top couple of seeds in the Western Conference.