March changed how the NBA viewed Luka Doncic. His numbers are irrefutable. Doncic hasn’t had a single game scoring below 30 points in his past nine contests. Furthermore, the Lakers haven’t lost. That sudden and aggressive surge has landed him ever closer to being crowned the MVP. The only ‘consistent’ threat remains to be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The argument held in the Canadian’s favor is his undisturbed run that’s lasted an entire season.

SGA beat Wilt Chamberlain’s 20-point streak. Nobody could imagine that. But did he manage to outperform his MVP rival consistently? A Doncic fan page brought reality to the front. When just comparing stats alone, the revelations are striking. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged more points and assists than Luka Doncic in the month of February.

Every other time, Luka Doncic has claimed the battle of statistics. It helps bring some clarity to the larger issue. Why wasn’t the Slovenian in MVP talks well before March? Some fans started to realise it too. “Luka the MVP and it makes no sense why anyone would say other wise,” one fan wrote.

Just to be clear, neither of them is putting up shabby numbers. However, the comparison shows how undervalued Doncic has been throughout the season. Before March, the media wasn’t talking about the six-time All-Star as an MVP candidate. They cited a number of reasons that didn’t relate to performance, aside from maybe his defensive issues.

But in doing so, it’s wrong to ignore his holistic impact. Luka Doncic is a master of all trades. And the Lakers’ steep defensive improvements have started to highlight his dominance. They have averaged 121.1 points per game with almost 26 assists. A third of the output belongs to Luka Doncic alone. The Lakers have also outscored opponents by 10 points with Doncic on the court.

Those aren’t just empty stats. That’s an influence we come across only a few times over an era of basketball.

Why the month of March was instrumental to Luka Doncic’s MVP case

The argument with stats is slimmed down, which eliminates other factors that go into consideration. While Luka Doncic averaged more points and assists, the Lakers battled inconsistency. The Thunder, even when without Jalen Williams for most of the season, have been runaway favorites to finish as the top seed in the West. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has his fingerprints all over that. He’s not just an efficient scoring maestro.

He played both ends of the court. Until March, the Lakers weren’t as organized for Doncic to be an effective defender. But since the team has figured out a winning formula, you can’t dismiss his effort.

Over the same stretch where Doncic has been an offensive demon, his defensive activity has been just as stellar. The former Mavericks star is averaging 2.6 steals and almost a block in his past nine games. Furthermore, he’s worked consciously to erase some of the ugly parts of his game.

You don’t see Luka Doncic sitting on one end and arguing with officials. He’s found a balance and some clarity. The Lakers are destructive when with an engaged Doncic. And it was in March that we saw the full spectrum of his talents. He’s defending isolation phenomenally and drawing charges at a high rate.

All Luka Doncic needed to establish his MVP claim was for the Lakers to start playing together. And it doesn’t look like his push is going to slow down anytime soon. The race is going to be close as the finish line approaches. Both stalwarts have the numbers and impact to back up their claims. But only one can win the prestigious trophy.

If you had to pick, who is your MVP? Let us know your views in the comments below.