Lakers' Luka Doncic Dropping in MVP Race, And It Makes Zero Sense

Despite Doncic's stellar play, the NBA MVP discourse hasn't ramped up around him as one of the frontrunners.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 11:22pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a basketball game or match, with the players and court broken down into abstract shapes and planes of color, capturing the dynamic energy of the sport.Doncic's MVP-caliber season is overshadowed by a puzzling drop in the rankings, as the Lakers star continues to elevate his team through his elite play.Los Angeles Today

Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic put forth another stellar offensive performance on Friday, recording a game-high 41 points in the 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets. However, Doncic's placement in the NBA MVP race has continued to drop, leaving his teammates and fans confused.

Why it matters

Doncic has been the driving offensive force for the Lakers, helping elevate them to third in the Western Conference standings. He is leading the league in scoring and is the only player averaging at least 30 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds per game this season.

The details

Despite Doncic's impressive stats and the Lakers' recent hot streak, the NBA MVP discourse around the six-time All-Star hasn't ramped up around him as one of the frontrunners to win the prestigious award. In the latest NBA.com MVP rankings, Doncic has fallen to fourth, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic.

  • Doncic is on an active streak of 12 straight 30-point performances.
  • The Lakers have won their last eight straight home games.

The players

Luka Doncic

A six-time NBA All-Star and the driving offensive force for the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the league in scoring and averaging a triple-double this season.

Austin Reaves

A Lakers guard who expressed bewilderment about Doncic's current placement in the MVP race, saying 'He continues to drop in the MVP race, which is insane to me.'

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Oklahoma City Thunder guard who is currently ranked ahead of Doncic in the NBA.com MVP rankings.

Victor Wembanyama

The San Antonio Spurs center who is also ranked ahead of Doncic in the NBA.com MVP rankings.

Nikola Jokic

The Denver Nuggets center who is ranked as the top MVP candidate in the NBA.com rankings, ahead of Doncic.

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What they’re saying

“'He continues to drop in the MVP race, which is insane to me. I guess it don't really matter, maybe he's gotta score 60, I don't know.'”

— Austin Reaves, Lakers guard

“'The better I play, the more I go down in the ratings. So I don't know what more I can do.'”

— Luka Doncic

What’s next

The Lakers will continue their push for a top seed in the Western Conference, with Doncic leading the way. The MVP race remains a topic of discussion, and Doncic's performance and the team's success will be closely watched in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

Luka Doncic's exceptional play this season, including his league-leading scoring average and triple-double numbers, has not translated to him being considered the frontrunner for the NBA MVP award. This has left his teammates and fans perplexed, as Doncic continues to produce at an elite level and help the Lakers climb the standings.