JJ Redick states Luka Doncic deserves MVP consideration if he and the Lakers maintain their performance.
LOS ANGELES — Coach JJ Redick stated that if Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers conclude the regular season as strongly as they have been performing, Doncic should be recognized as the NBA’s MVP.
“If we keep finishing the season in the manner we are currently playing, and he maintains this level of performance — to me, he is the MVP,” Redick remarked on Monday prior to the Lakers’ matchup against the Washington Wizards.
Redick highlighted Doncic’s early-season performance and his recent exceptional play — averaging 36.5 points on 49.3% shooting (39% from beyond the arc) along with 8.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 2.3 steals, which has propelled L.A. to a 14-2 record since February 28 — as supporting evidence for his assertion.
“I believe that when we started 15-4, there was a valid argument for him being the MVP at that time,” Redick noted. “In fact, he has been the MVP for two of the three segments of the season.”
Redick also mentioned the Lakers’ record since January 18 — achieving a 24-10 record leading into the game against the Wizards, which ranks as the second-most victories in the NBA during that timeframe, elevating them to No. 3 in the Western Conference — as additional proof of Doncic’s influence.
“He is the driving force behind all of our success,” Redick stated. “Certainly, we have many players excelling in their roles, but he is the key player.”
Redick further discussed Doncic’s commitment to his physical fitness as the season has progressed. “His current level of fitness is likely the best it has been since his first or second year in the league,” Redick remarked.
Doncic, 27, has not yet secured the MVP award despite being a contender for most of his career.
In the 2023-24 season, he finished third (with Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets winning); in 2022-23, he was eighth (with Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers winning); in 2021-22, he placed fifth (Jokic won again); in 2020-21, he was sixth (Jokic won that year as well); and in 2019-20, he finished fourth (with Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks winning).
After being suspended for Monday’s game due to his 16th technical foul during Saturday’s 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Doncic expressed confusion regarding his lack of recognition for the MVP award when asked about it following the Nets game.
“The better I perform, the lower I seem to rank,” Doncic said, translating one of his responses from Spanish. “So, I am unsure what more I can do.”
When questioned about his MVP candidacy earlier this month, after scoring 60 points against the Miami Heat, he chose not to advocate for the award.
“It’s you guys, the media [that vote],” Doncic stated. “I have no influence over it.”
Instead, he has primarily allowed his performance to speak for itself. He leads the NBA in scoring with a career-high average of 33.7 points per game; he ranks first in both 40-plus point games (15) and 30-plus point games (43); and he is third in the league in assists with 8.2 per game.
While he has not been known as a defensive specialist throughout his career, he ranks third among all guards in rebounds with 7.8 per game; he is sixth in the NBA in steals with 1.6 per game, and he is seventh in total charges drawn with 14.
