Giannis Antetokounmpo: Ranking top-5 MVP contenders after one month

5. Luka Doncic

Entering the NBA as the youngest ever winner of the EuroLeague MVP, it seemed inevitable that Luka Doncic would one day factor into the conversation as a leading candidate for the equivalent award in the U.S.

Still, I’m not sure if most would necessarily have anticipated that becoming a possibility as early as Doncic’s second season with the Mavericks, yet after an outstanding start to the year, that’s exactly what seems to be happening.

At just 20-years-old, Doncic has started the season averaging very close to a triple-double as the clear leader of an increasingly fun young Dallas squad.

Through 12 games, Doncic is tracking at 28.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. It was controversial at the time and has only garnered more conversation since, but Russell Westbrook did establish a precedent for a triple-double winner back in 2016-17.

If Doncic is to follow in his footsteps, he’ll likely have to cross over the 30 points per game mark, and he’ll certainly need to drag the Mavericks to something akin to the 47-35 record Westbrook racked up with the Thunder on that occasion.

At 7-5 so far, it’s by no means impossible, but team success is undoubtedly the biggest obstacle standing in Doncic’s way of climbing up these rankings in the months ahead.