NBA App GM Survey: Luka Doncic Wins 2022-23 MVP Award, Paolo Banchero to win ROY
October 4, 2022
After finishing fifth in MVP voting last season, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is the top choice among NBA general managers to win the award in 2022-23.
In a survey of GMs across the league conducted by NBA.com's John Schuhmann, Doncic is the favorite for MVP with 48 percent of the vote. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo came in second at 34 percent, followed by Joel Embiid (14 percent) and Stephen Curry (3 percent).
No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero was the overwhelming choice to win Rookie of the Year. The Orlando Magic forward got 79 percent of the vote, well ahead of Sacramento Kings guard Keegan Murray (17 percent) and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (3 percent).
Doncic could have a potentially difficult time winning MVP, through no fault of his own.
With a couple of notable exceptions in recent years, voters have traditionally preferred to give the award to the best player on one of the best teams in the league.
The only players who won MVP on a team that didn't win at least 50 games with a full 82-game schedule in the past 40 seasons were Russell Westbrook (2016-17) and Nikola Jokic (2021-22).
Both of those players had special circumstances that elevated their case. Westbrook led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs after Kevin Durant left in free agency, and he became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double.
Jokic won his second straight MVP award last season by carrying the Denver Nuggets to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference despite not having Jamal Murray for the entire year and having Michael Porter Jr. for just nine games.
Dallas is coming off a 52-30 record and an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, but the team didn't do much to improve its roster after losing Jalen Brunson in free agency.
Doncic is certainly good enough to guide the Mavs to a lot of regular-season wins. If he can do that playing in a deep Western Conference, the 23-year-old will absolutely be worthy of winning MVP.
Banchero's path to Rookie of the Year got a little bit easier after Chet Holmgren suffered a foot injury during a pro-am game in August that will keep him out for the season.
The Magic don't have a lot of players who are capable of creating their own shot. Banchero's size, combined with his ability as a ball-handler and playmaker, should make him the go-to scoring option in Orlando.
Even if it takes a while for Banchero to adjust to defenses at this level, he is the safest bet among all first-year players to average at least 20 points per game.
Team success isn't as much of a factor in Rookie of the Year voting, so the Magic don't need to win a lot of games for Banchero to claim the award. The 19-year-old could join Shaquille O'Neal and Mike Miller as the only players in franchise history to be named Rookie of the Year.