The Los Angeles Lakers secured a victory against the Brooklyn Nets, with Luka Doncic leading the way by scoring 41 points on March 28. Despite his high level of play and leading the NBA in scoring, Doncic continues to fall behind in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race.
Austin Reaves spoke about this after the game, calling it surprising that Doncic is not receiving more recognition. “He continues to drop in MVP race which is insane to me, so I guess it don’t really matter,” Reaves said on the court following the win. “Maybe he’s gotta score 60, I don’t know.”
Doncic also commented on his position in the MVP rankings and expressed uncertainty about what else he could do to influence voters. “Yeah, hopefully, but the better I play the more I go down in ratings so I don’t know what more I can do,” Doncic answered in Spanish.
Some observers suggest there may be a bias against players from Los Angeles or those with significant national attention. While other top performers like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama are also considered strong candidates for MVP honors this season, Doncic’s contributions have kept Los Angeles well positioned for playoff success.
Head coach JJ Redick has voiced support for Doncic’s case as an MVP candidate this season and praised his performance throughout the year.
As discussions around award voting continue, both teammates and coaches remain vocal about their belief that Doncic deserves greater consideration.
