DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving predicted teammate Luka Doncic will win the MVP award in the near future. Even though Nikola Jokic won his third MVP award in four seasons, Irving believes Doncic is on track to win the coveted award “soon.”
“Congratulations to Joker. He's having a great season,” Irving said of Jokic's MVP award. “He's led this team at an unbelievable rate and he's done the little things to set himself apart among our guys. He's been great, but if this year wasn't that… But I think Luka is on his way to winning the MVP either soon or soon. ”
This season, Doncic averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds in 70 games, proving his incredible skill and work ethic. He made history by proving his superiority by becoming the first player to average 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists per game.
“If you look at his numbers overall and how he led our team, it's nothing short of MVP,” Irving said. “He just came back from the World Cup. He's been playing a lot of basketball the last year and a half. I look at all the contributing factors that have proven him to be the MVP of this league. There is.”
Irving expressed a desire for players to have a say in the MVP award voting process, which currently includes media voting. He believes having players who are “basketball masters” will add the necessary perspective to further solidify a legitimate result.
“But, well, it's not up to him or us. It's up to the voting system they have in place,” Irving said. “Hopefully in the future things change and we can actually have a voice as players, because I think it's important that our voices are there as well. We're basketball experts. We've been playing basketball since we were young. That's different.'' It's a disdain for the media and others who have voting rights, but we need to be part of it. ”
Jokic's win marks the third straight season in which three players from outside the United States have finished 1-2 and 3rd in MVP voting. The Denver Nuggets star received 79 of 99 first-place votes, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic coming in second and third, respectively.
As the NBA continues to evolve, it's clear that international players are having a huge impact on the league. With the rise of talented players like Doncic, it's likely more foreign-born players will compete for the MVP award in the future. And if Irving's prediction comes true, Doncic could be the next player to join an elite group of MVP winners.
All eyes will still be on Doncic and the Mavericks as they advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in their careers. Dallas enters Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday with the series tied at 1-1 over the next two games at American Airlines Center.
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