Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic won’t qualify for any NBA Awards in the 2024-25 NBA season. The Slovenian star has only played 22 games this season and has dealt with a left calf strain. Due to this, Doncic won’t be eligible to win the MVP and any of the All-NBA Awards.
Luka Doncic will not meet the 65-game requirement for postseason awards 😬
Some of the awards he'll miss out on:
– MVP
– All-NBA teams pic.twitter.com/yg9NFNOcCP— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 12, 2025
The league’s 65-game requirement is to be certified to be considered for the postseason awards. On Sunday, Doncic was listed as out for the ninth straight game against the Denver Nuggets. Overall, he’s missed 17 games in the campaign, which makes him unqualified to be nominated for any awards.
After their 112-101 loss against the Nuggets, head coach Jason Kidd addressed Doncic’s disqualification to the media.
“It’s fair, because we made the rules, so we play by the rules,” Kidd said. “Unfortunately he’s not eligible to win the MVP, but it’s a team sport and understanding that we need him back to win the championship and so understanding that the individual awards will come, but we’re playing to win a championship and hopefully we can get him back soon.”
Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic being ineligible to win MVP or make an All-NBA Team:
“Unfortunately he’s not eligible to win the MVP, but it’s a team sport and understanding that we need him back to win the championship and so understanding that the individual awards will come, but… pic.twitter.com/wJpnFF3I5f
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) January 12, 2025
The Mavericks are looking to capitalize on what they’ve achieved last season. During the 2023-24 campaign, Dallas beat all the other teams and made it to the NBA Finals. However, they came up short and lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. Over the summer, they improved their roster and added veteran star Klay Thompson to the mix.
However, they haven’t reached their true potential this season because of Doncic’s health issues. The great guard has averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 22 games.
Mavericks head coach had high praise for Nikola Jokic after their game against the Nuggets
The Mavericks failed to protect their 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, leading to the eventual win for the Nuggets. The comeback win was led by Nikola Jokic, who had 19 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists. In the fourth quarter, he dominated the boards with five rebounds and got everyone involved with his four assists.
Following the game, Kidd of Dallas expressed his admiration for Jokic’s ability to guide Denver to victory.
“He’s one of the best at it. If he does miss, he finds a way to come away with that offensive rebound and put-back. It’s something we’ve got to get better at. Understanding that he’s the best in the world and so we gotta try to take something away,” the former NBA star said.
Jason Kidd on Nikola Jokic:
“He’s one of the best at it. If he does miss, he finds a way to come away with that offensive rebound and put-back…He’s the best in the world, and so we gotta try to take something away…”
Dallas plays Denver again on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/PjUQGhI4n2
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) January 12, 2025
Their next game against each other will be on Tuesday and the Mavericks hope to win their three-game season series.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
