DALLAS — Luka Doncic was extra happy Thursday.
What’s not to love about the Slovenian national team officially qualifying to the 2023 FIBA World Cup next summer, ensuring Doncic will again get to represent his home country on a major international stage?
The Mavericks probably feel the same.
That’s because Doncic has credited his World Cup qualifying games and EuroBasket tournament run for Slovenia last offseason as the reason he’s started this NBA campaign at his best conditioning level in years.
Through 12 Mavericks games, Doncic has translated his preseason MVP hype into a legitimate early case.
How about the rest?
Here’s how the early production for Doncic (+450) compares to the other top-five betting favorites: Joel Embiid (+500), Giannis Antetokounmpo )+550), Kevin Durant (+1000) and Nikola Jokic (+1000), according to Vegas Insider.
(Statistics for all games through Sunday.)
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
— Stat averages: 12 games, 34.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.7 blocks in 36.9 minutes; 49.6% FG, 28.6% 3FG, 74.8% FT
For a second consecutive season, Doncic started as the preseason betting MVP favorite, and this time, he’s backed up early expectations.
He’s playing 1.5 minutes per game more than last year, while averaging 5.5 more points and almost one more steal, too. The main statistical detraction: another slow 3-point shooting start, but Doncic opened last season worse before closing at a torrid rate to post a career-best 35.5% mark by the end.
If anything, the Mavericks are hoping to slow Doncic’s roll after an inefficient road back-to-back last weekend proved what coach Jason Kidd and staff have long expected internally: Doncic’s league-leading 38% usage rate in all Dallas possessions for which he’s on the court is unsustainable.
The Mavericks’ 7-5 record entering their Tuesday-Wednesday home back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets is a testament to Doncic’s dominance amid the team’s shortcomings at maintaining leads and replacing Jalen Brunson’s three-ball-handler void.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
— Stat averages: 10 games, 32.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.8 blocks in 35.2 minutes; 53.7% FG, 23.7% 3FG, 83.1% FT
Just behind Doncic in usage rate rankings: Embiid’s 37.3% mark to start the season after he finished second in the hotly-debated 2021-22 MVP race to Nikola Jokic.
Embiid didn’t start this season in top shape after dealing with plantar fasciitis over the summer, and he’s missed four of Philadelphia’s games so far: one for load management and three for a non-COVID illness.
But he’s compiled the NBA’s flashiest stat line yet: 59 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocks in a Sunday night win over the Utah Jazz.
And he’ll likely gain extra attention in MVP-related discussions if he can help the 76ers overcome their slow start despite co-star James Harden expected to miss at least one month with a right foot tendon strain.
Philadelphia (7-7) has gone 2-2 in Embiid’s absences.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
— Stat averages: 9 games, 31.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.4 blocks, in 32.8 minutes per game; 54.2% FG, 26.7% 3FG, 64.9% FT
The two-time MVP has missed three of the last four games with left knee soreness, but before injury concerns, Antetokounmpo looked on pace for another season of unflappable dominance.
The Bucks started 9-0, and Antetokounmpo currently leads the NBA in player impact estimate (24.4), a metric to measure a player’s all-around contributions. Doncic ranks second (22.6) with Embiid (20.8) the only other player in the 20s.
Despite playing without All-Star counterpart Khris Middleton, Antetokounmpo has logged the league’s sixth-best defensive rating (98 points per 100 possessions) to also position himself as an early contender for Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
At 10-2, the Bucks have lost only once with Antetokounmpo on the court.
Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
— Stat averages: 14 games, 30.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.9 blocks in 37 minutes per game; 52.4% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 91.5% FT
Look past all the messes — emphasis on plural — in and around the Nets franchise, and Durant’s impact on the court is undeniable.
He’s one of just two players to average at least 37 minutes over the first 14 games (Tyrese Maxey is the other for the Philadelphia 76ers), and Durant has done so amid co-star Kyrie Irving’s dramatic fallout and suspension, co-star Ben Simmons’ inconsistent post-trade debut after 15 months off and head coach Steve Nash’s exit.
Durant is one of eight players averaging more than 30 points per game — on pace to be an NBA record — and is scoring at his highest clip since he led the league with 32 points per game in the 2013-14 season.
However, team success often factors into MVP voting, and the Nets (6-8) have beaten just one team (the Clippers) expected to contend for a playoff spot this season.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
— Stat averages: 13 games, 20.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks in 31.1 minutes per game; 60.6% FG, 28.6% 3FG, 87.5% FT
Two-time reigning MVP and Doncic’s good Balkan buddy, Jokic has quietly fueled one of the few teams that has so far met high preseason expectations.
The Nuggets (9-4) are tied for first in the Western Conference, and Jokic hasn’t faced over-exertion concerns while playing 2.4 minutes per game less than he did last year and logging top-five marks in assists (5th), individual offensive rating (122.5 points per 100 possessions) and individual plus-minus (plus-8.2).
He’s faced criticism for not looking to score, particularly after tallying just eight points in a Sunday night win over the Chicago Bulls, but the Nuggets have won seven of their last nine games, including five of seven by double-digits, to back up Jokic’s approach as a pass-first center.
