The Dallas Mavericks had one of their best seasons ever this past year. The team advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years. It was their third time advancing to the NBA Finals in franchise history.
Some highlights included the Mavs bringing in new faces like Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington, and making the playoffs again. One big achievement though was defeating the No.1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in six games. This was a plus for Mavs fans, as some experts had the team making the Play-In Tournament or missing the playoffs altogether.
However, the Dallas-Oklahoma City series may have been the start of something special. For starters, both teams played a hard-fought round, as three games were decided by four points or less. The series also created a mini-rivalry, as both teams will be battling each other for the top spot in the West for years to come.
One race fans will continue monitoring though is the MVP race between Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Last season, both guards finished in the top three in MVP voting. Gilgeous-Alexander got the upper hand, finishing second, while Doncic had the third-most votes. It’s feasible both players will be playing with a chip on their shoulder next season, as they could have easily stolen the MVP award from Nikola Jokic.
Luka had a good case for the award. He averaged a near triple-double with 33.9 points per game, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds. Doncic also shot a career-high 38.2 percent from the 3-point line. His best performance came in January when he scored 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks. This tied Doncic for the fourth-most points scored in NBA history.
NBA voters seemingly failed to recognize any of those accomplishments. Doncic finished with 566 MVP votes, 74 short of Gilgeous-Alexander, and 360 behind Jokic. The biggest eye-opener was the Mavs star finishing with just four first-place votes. This put him 11 votes behind Gilgeous-Alexander.
Doncic got his revenge this offseason when HoopsHype ranked their list of the top 30 point guards entering the 2024-25 NBA season. The media group listed Doncic as the No. 1 point guard this coming year. Gilgeous-Alexander trailed Doncic at number two, while Luka’s former teammate Jalen Brunson came in at number three.
Some of their reasons for placing Doncic number one included a career year in which he led the league in points per game. Other ideas mentioned included Luka earning his fifth straight All-NBA Team selection. The group also discussed his supporting cast, as they explained how the group played a role in his team’s advance deep in the playoffs.
One of Doncic’s supporting members made it onto the list. Kyrie Irving was ranked just outside the top 10, as he came in at number 11. This was a ranking some fans might have a problem with. While it’s safe to say Irving isn’t the same player from years ago, it’s hard to argue against him. The two players listed above Irving failed to make the playoffs this past season, while some couldn’t even make it past the first round.
In simple terms, the ranking got half of the list right, as Doncic got his flowers, while Irving was given little credit.
If anything, the latest rankings should serve as motivation for Doncic and Irving. It should give Luka the motive to showcase why he is the top point guard in the league, especially over players like Gilgeous-Alexander. As for Irving, it should elevate his game to continue proving doubters wrong.