Lakers' Reaves Questions Dončić's Slide on MVP Ladder

Reaves calls Luka's recent drop in MVP rankings 'insane' despite his dominant scoring stats.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 3:04pm

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, vibrant colors depicting the action and energy of a basketball game, with players and the court broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes.Luka Dončić's MVP case remains strong despite his recent slide in the rankings, exposing the complex and often subjective criteria used to determine the league's top individual honor.Los Angeles Today

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves expressed confusion over Luka Dončić's recent slide in the NBA MVP rankings, despite the Dallas Mavericks star leading the league in scoring at 33.7 points per game. Reaves suggested Dončić may need to score 60 points to regain the top spot, even though Dončić had just accomplished that feat against the Miami Heat five games prior.

Why it matters

The MVP race is one of the most closely watched individual awards in the NBA, and Dončić's drop in the rankings despite his statistical dominance has raised eyebrows around the league. Reaves' comments highlight the uncertainty and debate around the criteria used to determine the MVP, especially when a player as productive as Dončić appears to be slipping.

The details

In the Lakers' recent win over the Brooklyn Nets, Reaves scored 26 points while Dončić added 41. The Lakers led by 5 points at the end of the first quarter and 2 at halftime, before outscoring the Nets by 15 in the second half to secure the 116-99 victory. Despite Dončić's impressive individual performance, he has fallen behind Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokić in the latest MVP rankings.

  • Five games ago, Dončić scored 60 points against the Miami Heat.
  • Over the last 12 games, Dončić has scored at least 30 points in every single one of them.

The players

Austin Reaves

A guard for the Los Angeles Lakers who recently questioned Luka Dončić's drop in the NBA MVP rankings.

Luka Dončić

The Dallas Mavericks star who is leading the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 33.7 points per game.

Victor Wembanyama

The French basketball player who is currently ranked first in the latest NBA MVP rankings, despite averaging 24.2 points per game and ranking 14th in the league in scoring.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Oklahoma City Thunder guard who is ranked second in the latest NBA MVP rankings.

Nikola Jokić

The Denver Nuggets center who is ranked third in the latest NBA MVP rankings.

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What they’re saying

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

— Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers Guard

What’s next

It remains to be seen whether Dončić's MVP ranking gets a bump back up in the coming weeks as he continues to dominate the scoring charts.

The takeaway

The debate around the NBA MVP criteria has intensified with Luka Dončić's recent slide in the rankings despite his statistical dominance, raising questions about how the award is determined and the factors that are prioritized.