Luka Doncic primed to make late-season MVP push

If straw polls and sportsbooks are anything to go by, this year's NBA MVP won't fulfill the age-old "best player on the best team" criteria. With just three weeks left in the season, Jayson Tatum — the player who fits that criteria — has the fifth shortest odds to win the award.

As voters continue to value individual impact more than just winning, there's a strong case for Luka Doncic of the Mavericks, who has the third-shortest odds to win MVP. As it stands, it's a two-horse race between Denver's Nikola Jokic (-150) and OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+225), whose teams are embroiled in a battle for the No. 1 seed that promises to go to the finish line.

Even if SGA's Thunder clinch the top seed out West, there is growing belief that Jokic will be crowned MVP for the third time in his career.

Unless Doncic flips the script.

Following their 113-97 win over the Jazz on Thursday, the Mavs moved to the sixth seed out West, finding themselves just 1.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Pelicans and three games behind the fourth-seeded Clippers. With Brandon Ingram sidelined for at least two weeks, and the Clippers no longer playing like the dominant team pre-All-Star break, the Mavs have an opening to climb a seed or two.

Few other factors are working in the favor of the streaking Mavs. With just 12 games remaining, they have the third-easiest strength of the schedule. Among the remaining 12 opponents, OKC is the only team with a .600 or better record. There's every reason for the Mavs to close the season on a roll.

But, how realistic are Doncic's chances to win MVP?  

In NBA.com's latest KIA MVP Ladder, Michael C. Wright urges Doncic "to maintain the momentum" to close the gap with Jokic and SGA. Doncic needs just four more 30-5-5 games to tie Oscar Robertson for most such stat lines in a single season. Surely, reaching that milestone would bolster Doncic's case.