Two decades ago, it was Tracy McGrady trying to bring an NBA championship to Texas as a Houston Rocket. Now, the two-time scoring champion is pinning those hopes on Dallas’ Slovenian star, Luka Doncic. A terrifying scorer and one of the best offensive players of his era, T-Mac not only failed to win a championship but never won an MVP despite winning two scoring titles.
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But when it comes to Luka, McGrady is more than confident he can carry the Mavericks, who last won a championship in 2011, to their second NBA title and win the Michael Jordan trophy on the way.
“I look for Dallas to do some big, big things. Possibly seeing them back in the Finals,” the Hall of Famer shared through his Instagram. “Leading his team to the Finals, I think coming back this year he’s gonna be even hungrier,” McGrady said about Doncic’s 2024-25 campaign. “I look at a guy like Luka Doncic that I feel will be this year’s MVP. A guy that leads his team in a lot of categories.”
Tracy McGrady’s sentiment is one that’s shared around the league. Luka has continued to elevate his game with every passing year, culminating in his best individual and team season in 2023-24. The 25-year-old posted career-highs in points and assists, leading the Dallas Mavericks to 50 wins and the NBA Finals.
With that valuable postseason experience and continuity in the roster, McGrady believes this is the season when Luka Doncic finally claims his first MVP honor. “He’s a guy that I think every year coming into the NBA season you can always consider him as an MVP candidate but I think coming into this season, it’ll be Luka Doncic’s MVP to lose,” the seven-time All-Star stated.
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Doncic became the second youngest player to lead the NBA in scoring last season and many consider it a travesty that he didn’t take home his first MVP award after that historic campaign.
2023-24: Luka Doncic’s dominance earned him just four 1st place votes
Over the past five seasons, Doncic has remained in the top 8 of the MVP ladder. Last season, he was consistently in the top three, but Nikola Jokic eventually won.
It’s puzzling that a guard averaging 34, 9, and 10 was not considered the most valuable, but what’s even more disappointing is that Doncic wasn’t even the runner-up. He finished third on the MVP ladder, 84 points behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both young guards had historic seasons, averaging over 30 points while carrying their teams to positive records in a stacked Western Conference.
Part of the argument against Doncic was that both SGA and Jokic had secured top 4 seeding and home-court advantage for their teams. Dallas, on the other hand, were the 5th seed and the team’s flimsy defense was largely blamed on their star guard.
Luka averaged 4 turnovers a game last season, highlighting the heavy offensive load placed on his shoulders. To be precise, he was in the 100th percentile for offensive load, boasting a league-high 35.5% usage rate, while somehow maintaining a passer rating of 8.5.
The Mavericks’ struggles through the mid-point of the season were eventually addressed via trades for PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, both of whom made an immediate impact on the roster. Along with some much-needed rim protection, Washington and Gafford also improved on Dallas’ offensive versatility, serving as ideal lob threats for the eagle-eyed Doncic.
The Slovenian generated 11.3 points per game out of pick-and-roll actions despite the inconsistent spacing on his roster. Coming into the 2024-25 season however, Luka has his best chance thus far at becoming the league’s most valuable player.
Klay Thompson can take Dallas and Doncic to the next level
In the NBA Finals last season, Dallas were exposed by the Boston Celtics, who basically dared the Mavs role players to shoot. The Celtics zoned in heavily on Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, forcing the guard pairing into uncomfortable positions and inefficient attempts. However, if Boston were to try the same strategy against the 2024-25 Mavericks, Klay Thompson will certainly be able to punish them for it.
Over the last 11 seasons, Thompson finished in the top 2 for catch-and-shoot three-pointers eight times. Last season, he was third in catch-and-shoot three-point attempts and conversions, creating 8.6 points off the catch. For a team that sunk under 32% of their threes during the Finals, adding the best catch-and-shoot scorer in NBA history is undoubtedly a positive move.
Though the injuries to his ACL and Achilles have taken a step or two out of his game, Klay has remained one of the league’s most effective high-volume shooters, averaging nearly 20 points per game while making 40% of his 10 three-point attempts over the last two seasons.
Even when he’s not converting, Thompson’s motor and off-ball game on the offensive end will keep defenses occupied, creating more space for Luka Doncic to attack into. Klay ran an average of 1.25 miles per game on offense last season, a mark that only Doncic, Irving, and PJ Washington matched or surpassed for Dallas.
Just the threat of Thompson heating up should force defenses to re-consider their double teams and allow Luka more chances to beat his man 1-on-1. He averaged a career-high 9.8 assists last season but had 16.9 potential assists per game. With positive shooters like Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes also flanking Doncic, we can expect an uptick in the Slovenian guard’s playmaking and overall efficiency.
Following the trade deadline last season, Dallas posted an offensive rating of 117.5 and a defensive rating of 105.4, going 20-6 with PJ Washington, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic sharing the court. If they can continue on that trend during the 2024-25 season, it will be impossible for fans to deny Doncic his first MVP trophy.
Luka’s perception entering last season was affected by his team missing the 2022-23 playoffs, even after landing Kyrie Irving. However, the Mavericks are a proven contender now, which will also improve the narrative around Doncic’s impact.
If the roster can remain healthy and compete for the #1 seed in the West, fans will not be able to deny the sheer value that Luka Doncic brings as a lead guard. That’s why five-time All-Star is currently the odds-on favorite to take home the MVP award at the end of the 2024-25 season. In Tracy McGrady’s words, “it’ll be Luka Doncic’s MVP to lose.“
