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

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.

It was the latest notable scoring outing from Doncic that has fueled the Lakers’ recent hot stretch, winning 14 out of their last 16 games. Despite that, 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.

Austin Reaves Calls Out Luka Doncic MVP Snub: ‘That’s Insane to Me’

Mike Trudell spoke with Austin Reaves about pushing through a tough night and finding a way to win. pic.twitter.com/6VulKdwAQ1
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 28, 2026

After Friday’s game, Austin Reaves touched on that discussion, expressing bewilderment about Doncic’s current placement in the MVP race.

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

Reaves remarks were referencing the latest MVP rankings by NBA.com’s staff, which have him fourth this week behind Oklahoma City Thunder’s guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio Spurs’ center Victor Wembanyama, and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

The latest ranking saw him fall from the projected second spot in the website’s MVP ranking list. This comes after Doncic put together yet another highly productive week, receiving his second straight Western Conference Player of the Week honors.

Meanwhile, his strong production has continued into this week, averaging 38.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc. This includes him scoring 30 or more points in all three games this week, including a pair of 40-point outings.

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

‘I Don’t Know What More I Can Do’: Luka Doncic Reacts to MVP Ranking Drop

“The better I play the more I go DOWN in rankings, so I don’t know what more I can do.”

Luka on his feelings about the MVP race 😳 pic.twitter.com/4Oz0owA7fS
— Underdog (@Underdog) March 28, 2026

Now, this isn’t to say NBA.com’s listing is the end-all, be-all for determining who will win this season’s MVP award, but it does underscore how much Doncic is being overlooked in the discussion.

“The better I play, the more I go down in the ratings,” Doncic said after Friday’s game. “So I don’t know what more I can do.”

The 27-year-old has been the driving offensive force, helping elevate the Lakers to third in the Western Conference standings.

Doncic is leading the league with 33.7 points per game while ranking third with 8.2 assists per game. He is currently the only player in the NBA averaging at least 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Doncic leads the NBA this season with 15 games with 40 or more points. He also became the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in the 2012-13 campaign and the only player this season to average 30 points per game and record at least 100 steals.

There are countless statistics beyond the Lakers’ continued sustained success that only further back up why Doncic should be in serious consideration for this season’s MVP award.

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