Have we been underrating Luka?

[AleksandarN]

Uh, yeah. Jokic is only getting MVP consideration because his paltry 26.4 PPG and 9.0 APG averages are done as a center and his team has been good this year too, but at least he's winning on rebounds because he's taller and fatter and mostly only works in the paint. Luka has had a truly historic season in total points created, even more than D'Antoni Harden, even though his usage is even down from last season when Giannis led the league in usage but yeah the usage hate argument is still popular, too. Hell, even last time I saw Jokic in an interview even he thought Luka was MVP and they just dismissed him because they thought he was being humble, but it's not like he didn't name a specific player

What interview did you see that Jokic said Luka is the MVP? I have been looking for it since a mavs fan lied about it on Twitter

[Heej]

He's basically rated as really damn good just not Jokic. He's a decent MVP candidate in most eras but he's just not getting over on Jokic or Embiid right now

[MrGoat]

Uh, yeah. Jokic is only getting MVP consideration because his paltry 26.4 PPG and 9.0 APG averages are done as a center and his team has been good this year too, but at least he's winning on rebounds because he's taller and fatter and mostly only works in the paint. Luka has had a truly historic season in total points created, even more than D'Antoni Harden, even though his usage is even down from last season when Giannis led the league in usage but yeah the usage hate argument is still popular, too. Hell, even last time I saw Jokic in an interview even he thought Luka was MVP and they just dismissed him because they thought he was being humble, but it's not like he didn't name a specific player

What interview did you see that Jokic said Luka is the MVP? I have been looking for it since a mavs fan lied about it on Twitter

Well now that you ask, I couldn't find the tweet but I could find the quote

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/dallas-mavs-denver-nuggets-nikola-jokic-endorses-luka-doncic-nba-mvp-award#:~:text=Right%20now%2C%20the%20favorite%20to,decision%2C%20to%20be%20honest.%22&text=Doncic%20made%20a%20strong%20case,107%2D105%20victory%20on%20Sunday.

"I think he deserves the MVP, 100 percent," Jokic said of Doncic. "But it's not my decision, to be honest."

I'm not the kind of guy who just BSs

[AleksandarN]

Uh, yeah. Jokic is only getting MVP consideration because his paltry 26.4 PPG and 9.0 APG averages are done as a center and his team has been good this year too, but at least he's winning on rebounds because he's taller and fatter and mostly only works in the paint. Luka has had a truly historic season in total points created, even more than D'Antoni Harden, even though his usage is even down from last season when Giannis led the league in usage but yeah the usage hate argument is still popular, too. Hell, even last time I saw Jokic in an interview even he thought Luka was MVP and they just dismissed him because they thought he was being humble, but it's not like he didn't name a specific player

What interview did you see that Jokic said Luka is the MVP? I have been looking for it since a mavs fan lied about it on Twitter

Well now that you ask, I couldn't find the tweet but I could find the quote

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/dallas-mavs-denver-nuggets-nikola-jokic-endorses-luka-doncic-nba-mvp-award#:~:text=Right%20now%2C%20the%20favorite%20to,decision%2C%20to%20be%20honest.%22&text=Doncic%20made%20a%20strong%20case,107%2D105%20victory%20on%20Sunday.

"I think he deserves the MVP, 100 percent," Jokic said of Doncic. "But it's not my decision, to be honest."

I'm not the kind of guy who just BSs

Thank you for the link. I still couldn’t find a video of the interview

[Stealth1]

Mavs would be second in the East. If nuggets finish in 3rd place with maybe 5 more wins is that really enough to give Jokic a 3rd MVP over this guy, when seeding is really the only argument against Luka?

[Black Jack]

I don't think "we" as in realgm has been underrating Luka. It's pretty much a consensus here that he's at least a top 5 player. The national media on the otherhand, absolutely is. Heck we have had some major network voters not even vote him in for ANY of the All NBA teams last year. Not even 3rd team all NBA. Speaks volumes.

I just think US casuals and media don't get as excited about foreign imports. If Luka was born and bred American he'd be WAY more hyped up. It is what it is.

Real hoops fans appreciate his game though.

[NZB2323]

I’d say the only slight to him was not being named on the 75 team. Either than that I think he is viewed pretty accurately.

On his way to 5 straight 1st team All NBA selections. Is probably one of the most talked about players. Really the only thing he’s lacking is a championship and MVPs.

And the lack of MVPs really just comes down to 2 things. He’s playing in the prime of other top 15 all time kind of talent. And those guys are just winning more games.

Jokic won his 2nd MVP when Denver was a 6th seed all because the gap between him and everyone else that year was just too massive to overlook. Luka hasn’t had a season like that yet where his play is just so far above everyone else’s that despite not being a top 3 seed, you still just have to give him the MVP.

I think Luka is pretty much universally viewed in that Jokic/Embiid/Giannis tier. Those are the top 4 guys. Those 4 can just do things that no one else in the league can.

The top 75 team came out when Luka was 21.

2x all-star, 2x all-NBA 1st team, no playoff series wins isn’t a good enough resume for top 75.

Like if they redid the top 75 list now, Luka probably makes it, but SGA, Ant, and Wemby don’t make it.

I don’t think any player makes it based off of their accomplishments when they were 21.

[SlimShady83]

Underrating a top 5 If not top 3 player?

[Johnny Tomala]

He should be MVP this season, he was always for me in top 3 players, this season he is the best. Him getting that Mavs team to WCF is one of the biggest accomplishments in recent years. That team had no business being in WCF.

[Young gun 6]

Mavs would be second in the East. If nuggets finish in 3rd place with maybe 5 more wins is that really enough to give Jokic a 3rd MVP over this guy, when seeding is really the only argument against Luka?

I doubt Denver drop down to 3rd.

Other than WB 1st player to average a triple double for the season and Jokic taking one of the worst supporting casts of all time to 48 wins, pretty much every MVP winner of the last 50 years has been a top 4 seed in their conference.

Luka: 34/9/10/1.5/0.5 with 4 turnovers on 49/38/79 splits (61.7% TS).
Jokic: 26/12/9/1.5/1 with 3 turnovers on 58/35/82 splits (64.6% TS).

Advanced Stats:
PER: 31 - 28 Jokic
TS%: 65 - 62 Jokic
OBPM: 8 - 9 Jokic
DBPM: 4 - 2 Jokic
BPM: 13 - 10 Jokic
ORating: 132 - 123 Jokic
DRating: 110- 114 Jokic
Net Rating: +22 - +9 Jokic
VORP: 10 - 8 Jokic
PIE: 21- 20 Jokic

Jokic leads in PER, TS%, WS, WS/48, OBPM, DBPM, BPM, ORating, DRating, Net Rating, Raptor, VORP, PIE.

All whilst doing it with 6.5% less usage. Doncic has a 36.2% usage rate, 3% higher than anyone in the league.

Jokic is the clear best player in the league and has been for the last 5 years. Luka, Embiid and Giannis are fighting out 2-4 but it's Joker and a gap.

Luka will have a super strong case for winning MVP next year as he has a really really good team around him now that should be a top 4 seed next year.

This year it's Jokic's to lose.

[ShaqAttac]

Easily. He the best player itw right now

[FarBeyondDriven]

no, if anything he's massively overrated given the lax rules and easy era he plays in making it so easy for a high usage heliocentric player to put up massive numbers if he's not forced to play defense. He's universally praised and in the MVP conversation every year despite horrible defense and not sniffing a championship. His fans are constantly going on about how amazing he is and how he'll be one of the all-time greats. Do you expect more than this?

[Roy T]

I think him and Jokic might be wildly underrated because they don’t fit into basketball culture. Not to mention their nationality.

Wembanyama will be a hard one to use as the face of the league as well.

[Petergrifindor]

Should be clearly ahead in the MVP race.

The idiotic commets we have to hear on the media about Doncic... Barkley said this yer that Doncic numbers should go down for his team to be better.

Anyway, what Luka should do is try to win a Championship. If injuries respect Dallas, and everybody in the team plays near their top level, they have a chance.

[Gatorade Sax]

People mentioning him having to show more in the playoffs are borderline delusional. He’s literally been to a WCF with a horrendous squad, and has proven to be a cold blooded killer in massive playoff moments numerous times.

The guy is peaking at the best possible time right now..guarantee exactly 0 teams want to see the Mavs this postseason.

[Yuri36]

Well just look and hear how he's been rated by most of fans and medias for the MVP race despite having one of the best ever season at least statistically (and with his team for the last 2/3 months, they've basically been the best team in NBA along with Celtics during that span) and go to tell me stretch that he's been rated like he and his season deserves to be rated.

He's been rated like he and his season deserve to be rated. Do you think it's some travesty that he'll be 2nd in the MVP race?

Not an absolute travesty if he finishes 2nd but still not so fair....but what's really been a travesty is how far behind the likes of Joker (even now, just look at this board MVP current poll results ) and SGA people usually putted him in that MVP race.

[Wilfried]

Hopefully at some point he will be recognized as an above average player.

And better than Trae

[deneem4]

Well just look and hear how he's been rated by most of fans and medias for the MVP race despite having one of the best ever season at least statistically (and with his team for the last 2/3 months, they've basically been the best team in NBA along with Celtics during that span) and go to tell me stretch that he's been rated like he and his season deserves to be rated.

He's been rated like he and his season deserve to be rated. Do you think it's some travesty that he'll be 2nd in the MVP race?

Not an absolute travesty if he finishes 2nd but still not so fair....but what's really been a travesty is how far behind the likes of Joker (even now, just look at this board MVP current poll results ) and SGA people usually putted him in that MVP race.

Because he’s the same luka, he didn’t elevate his teammates the mavs got better teammates for him, no knock on him, but they’re winning games without luka now, n kyrie has entered the best guard of all time discussions again not to mention the dumpfires pj and gafford came from

[Petergrifindor]

Because he’s the same luka, he didn’t elevate his teammates the mavs got better teammates for him, no knock on him, but they’re winning games without luka now, n kyrie has entered the best guard of all time discussions again not to mention the dumpfires pj and gafford came from

Gafford, PJ, Exum, Kyrie… all of them are playing at their best. Some of them are peaking in the NBA right now.

[deneem4]

Because he’s the same luka, he didn’t elevate his teammates the mavs got better teammates for him, no knock on him, but they’re winning games without luka now, n kyrie has entered the best guard of all time discussions again not to mention the dumpfires pj and gafford came from

Gafford, PJ, Exum, Kyrie… all of them are playing at their best. Some of them are peaking in the NBA right now.

Well kyrie is kyrie, and gafford was pretty much doing the same shiiii on the wizards, I don’t attribute they’re play to luka if that’s what you’re insinuating

U got sga who actually has taken a step and jokic who’s been literally a wrecking ball the whole season