Widely feared for his signature bully-ball playing style, Shaquille O’Neal led the Lakers to a three-peat from 2000 to 2002. His unique combination of size, strength, and agility made him virtually unstoppable in the paint. The entire NBA landscape revolved around him, with players like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, and Kevin Garnett considered mere mortals compared to him during his prime years.

However, Luka Doncic, despite being six inches shorter, is a more effective finisher at the rim than the Big Aristotle was in his prime. The Slovenian phenom’s field goal percentage within 0–3 feet of the basket stands at an impressive .830, surpassing Shaq’s .792 mark from the 2000–01 season.

This is particularly remarkable for a high-volume scorer and ball handler who gets as heavily guarded as Luka does. But, with the season he is having this year, he continues to defy all expectations. He is averaging 34.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists this season, including a triple-triple in every single one of his last seven games, making a compelling case for winning the MVP race.

On the other hand, winning his first championship with the Lakers, Prime O’Neal also clinched the Finals MVP, regular season MVP, scoring champion, and All-Star MVP titles while leading the Lakers to a 67-win season. He averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists that season. Moreover, he finished the season with exceptional efficiency, leading the league not just in scoring volume but also in FG%, with a true shooting percentage that was 5.5% above the league average.

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However, with an improved supporting cast, Doncic’s elite production as a scorer, distributor, and rebounder directly translates to wins.

Can Luka Doncic win the MVP title this season?

For the majority of the season, the MVP race was dominated by the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid. However, with Embiid disqualified due to the 65-game rule, the MVP award is now up for grabs once again. But despite Luka Doncic’s video game numbers, he still trails Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the rankings. The only stumbling block preventing Luka from climbing the MVP ladder is the Dallas Mavericks record this season.

He has been a franchise player for the Dallas Mavericks ever since he was drafted in 2018. Luka’s incredible production and overall impact on the game has been clear. This season, in just the second game of the year, he dropped 49 points and hit a go-ahead three-pointer to seal Dallas’ victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

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In the recent game against the Chicago Bulls, superstar Luka extended his triple-double streak to seven in a row. He failed to record his first 30-point triple-double in six games but still managed to score 27 points on efficient numbers.

With a 38-29 record, the Mavs have been languishing in the play-in region for most of the season. Meanwhile, Jokic’s Nuggets hold the second seed, right on the heels of SGA’s first-seeded Thunder in the Western Conference. If only the Mavs had a better record, Doncic would have had a better chance to win the MVP award this season.

However, with five weeks left, the tide could still turn in Doncic’s favor.

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