Averaged 45.3 points per game! What does Doncic need to do if he wants to win MVP?

In the regular season, the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 117-112 away from home.

In this game, Doncic returned and once again delivered an explosive performance: playing 39 minutes, he made 14 of 27 shots, 6 of 15 three-pointers, 10 of 13 free throws, and scored 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists.

It was not easy for the Lakers to win this game. They fell behind by 15 points in the second quarter and were still trailing 55-69 at halftime. They led 62-43 in the second half. Doncic scored 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in the third quarter, and scored 9 points and 1 assist in the fourth quarter to lead the reversal.

It is no exaggeration to say that Doncic single-handedly destroyed the Grizzlies' entire defense. Throughout the game, Doncic played pick-and-rolls with defenders many times. The Grizzlies also used multiple players to defend Doncic but failed to achieve good results. Letting Doncic single out was almost a loss of points. The worst thing was Wells. He defended Doncic for 5 minutes in this game, and Doncic was on top of him. He scored 13 points, and only took 6 shots;

And Doncic's strength is not only his one-on-one ability. As long as the Grizzlies attack, Doncic will be able to find an open teammate. The representative goal came from the third quarter. Doncic controlled the ball 45 degrees on the right side, and the Grizzlies decisively double-teamed him. As a result, Doncic directly found Hachimura in the left corner with a long pass, and the latter hit a three-pointer.

My feeling when watching Doncic's game is that it's really easy for him to score. He easily dodges, turns, and stops to free up space for shots. Moreover, after losing weight in the offseason, his steps are lighter and his ball feel is as good as ever, even a little casual. What the heart desires -

Just like Doncic said after the game: "You know, sometimes opponents will double-team me more, and sometimes I may not be able to score so many points. Obviously I had a few, about 3-4 shot choices today, which are crazy. (That kind of ball) I shot when I felt it was coming."

I don’t think anyone who has watched games in the past few years will doubt how strong Doncic is, but such a crazy start to this year is relatively rare even in Doncic’s career. The three games ended so far:

- against the Warriors, 43 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists

- against the Timberwolves, 49 points 11 rebounds and 8 assists

- Against the Grizzlies, 44 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists

After three games, Doncic averaged 45.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, shooting 58.4% from the field, 35.1% from three-point range, and a true shooting percentage of 71.2%. What is the concept of

? Take a look at these records:

- Scored 40+ points in three consecutive games, the second person in history, the previous one was Chamberlain

-- Scored 125+ in three consecutive games, the third person in history, the first two were Jordan and Chamberlain

-- Averaged 45+ in three consecutive games, the previous one The Lakers player who has achieved this is Kobe Bryant - the 49th 40+ times in his career and the 21st 40+ times among active players in history. Doncic ranks 8th. The one ahead of him is Westbrook with 50 times, and Westbrook entered the league 10 years earlier than Doncic.

In another 10 years, there is every reason to believe that Doncic can increase this number to more than 100 times. In history, there are only four players with more than 100 times, namely Chamberlain (271 times), Jordan (173 times), Kobe (122 times) and Harden (105 times).

Seeing Doncic's performance not only raised a question: Does Doncic have any hope of becoming MVP this year.

The answer is obviously yes, but it is not easy to win the MVP. In the past few years, Doncic has been predicted to be the first in the MVP several times, but he has never actually won the MVP, and has only been in the top three of the MVP once (third in the 2024 MVP).

So, what does Doncic need to do if he wants to win the MVP? I personally think there are five points:

1. Stay healthy, which is the basis for any player to pursue any award. Especially under the current minimum attendance requirement of 65 games, Doncic's attendance rate in his career is not bad. Last season was the least year, only playing 50 games.

2. Excellent data. I think it is not difficult for Doncic to achieve this in his career. The average per game is close to 29+9+8, and he is currently averaging 45+12+8 per game this season. Even if there is a subsequent decline, as long as he wants to, it is not a big problem to maintain an average of 30+ per game

3. Record, this is actually the most critical reason why Doncic has not been able to win the MVP in the past many years. During the Mavericks, his best year leading the team was 52 wins and 30 losses, fourth in the Western Conference (2 1-22 season), if we can lead the Lakers to the top three in the division, we have great hopes

4. Performance against other MVP candidates, which is also a criterion for MVP. At least don't get crushed and lose, otherwise the impression will be bad

5. End-of-season performance, an important factor for MVP consideration, season The performance at the end of the season is often more important than the performance at the beginning of the season. Many players who finally won the MVP came from behind in the second half of the season.

It needs to be said that Doncic is not the only one who has performed at the MVP level this year. Currently, Benyama, Alexander, Jokic and even Maxi are all performing at the MVP level.

However, this year is indeed an opportunity for Doncic. With offseason training and European Championship experience, Doncic may have the best start. In addition, Reeves has also increased his goals, the Lakers' new players have joined, and James is still on a truce. Perhaps, we can really see Doncic win the MVP trophy.