Two MVP candidates lock horns as Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics visit Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 AM on NBA League Pass.
Who’s your MVP?
Each new NBA season allows fans to engage in the always-contentious debate of who is the Most Valuable Player. And in this particular season, the talk of the town is at an all-time high. You have the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic putting up monster triple-doubles and former winner Giannis Antetokounmpo doing a herculean job in keeping the Bucks afloat despite all the injuries. Quietly making his case is also Joel Embiid of the 76ers. Meanwhile, Steph Curry picked off right where he left off from last season’s NBA Finals before his recent injury.
And then there are the two young superstars in Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic.
The Celtics are fresh from their finals run a season ago and Tatum has made it his personal mission to become the best player on the planet. He’s averaging a career-high 30.8 points and 8.1 rebounds, to go along with 4.0 assists. We all know he can score in bunches but there’s a smoothness and confidence to his game nowadays that shouldn’t be overlooked. He knows he can get to his spot anytime he wants and it’s just a matter of whether or not the defense can keep up. We’re seeing a player getting more comfortable as being “the guy” for his team.
In the other corner, Doncic recently made history by putting up the league’s first-ever 60-20 triple-double. We’ve run out of superlatives for this magician and to think that he’s only on his fourth season. Whether it’s the no-look passes, the signature stepback triples, or the unbelievable clutch shots, he always delivers. In the last five games, he’s poured in a whopping 225 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists.
Both Tatum and Doncic can literally score 50 points on any given night. Having huge scoring performances and putting out-of-this-world box scores seem to be the trend in the last several weeks and this matchup between stars is no exception.
Who has the better team?
As in any MVP debate, it also boils down to who has the better record and a better chance of winning it all. It’s early in the season but records and team standings will play a huge factor in who gets the award later on.
The Celtics are currently on a two-game slide and their last game was an eye-sore after the Thunder dropped 150 points on them. It was obviously a forgettable performance for the team who’s aiming to return to the promised land. Nonetheless, Boston still holds the league’s best record with 26 wins and 12 losses.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have hit their stride, winning their last seven games. It remains to be seen if the Mavs are more than just a one-man show with Doncic, but as we are in the middle of the regular season, racking up wins is more important. So if that means Luka scoring 50 or 60 points to get the victory, then it’s still definitely a treat for all fans.
The Celtics and Mavericks feature two individual greats with two very good teams. Tomorrow’s matchup is must-see TV.
