Luka Doncic led the NBA in scoring but was not named an MVP finalist due to voter biases and advanced metrics. His historic performance with the Lakers faced scrutiny despite his dominance on the court.
Key points
Luka Doncic led the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game.
He averaged 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds, showcasing his all-around game.
Doncic carried the Lakers through injuries to key teammates.
Voter biases and advanced metrics influenced the MVP finalist selection.
Other finalists include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic.
Luka DoncicLeBron JamesAustin ReavesShai Gilgeous-Alexander
Thereās a difference between being snubbedā¦and inconvenience.
The fact that Lakers superstar Luka Doncic missed out on being named an NBA MVP finalist falls into that category. He was the inconvenience that voters didnāt quite know how to handle. Because his historic season doesnāt fit neatly into the box theyāve spent years building.
So instead, they chose to close the lid.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers knocked down the game winning shot during the game against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on March 14, 2026. (NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers knocked down the game winning shot during the game against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on March 14, 2026. (NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Was that the right decision? We can make the argument either way, but perhaps thereās a solution at the end of all this that can appease everyone.
Letās start with the finalists: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic.
All three are deserving. They all play on the No. 1, No, 2, and No. 3 seeds in the Western Conference. They are all the best players on their own team with elite level production on both ends of the floor. They check all the boxes.
But MVP isnāt supposed to be an exercise performed with a Sharpie and a checklist. Thereās more gravitas to it. Thereās the eye test. Thereās the feeling in your gut when you know youāre seeing one of the best players in the world do what they do best. Thereās how opposing defenses throw the kitchen sink at one player just to try and slow him down only to discover they canāt.
And nobody made us feel that way this season quite like Doncic.
Letās start with the obvious.
He led the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game. More than 2.4 points more than SGA. Pair that with 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and over 100 steals. Night after night, Doncic wasnāt just producing. He was dominating. No player in NBA history has ever averaged 30+ points, 7+ assists, and 7 + rebounds on a team that won 50 games or more and not won the MVP. Doncic will have now done it twice (2024).
And letās not forget that he had to carry the Lakers on his back for most of the season.
The Lakers takeoff this season did not come with a clean runway. There was turbulence on the tarmac. An early sciatica injury to saw him miss the first 14 games of the season. Doncic led them to a 10-4 record. Midway through the season their second leading scorer went down with an injury. So did other role players. The Lakers roster felt like it was constantly being rearranged mid-flight. But through it all, Doncic was the pilot that guided them through the turbulence.
So when his teammates that were on this journey with him were asked their thoughts on Doncic not being an MVP finalist they didnāt hesitate with their answers.
āYou can see heās the MVP,ā said Lakersā forward . āI can see heās the MVP of this league. What he does, what he brings to the game every game.ā
Thatās not analytics. Thatās lived experience.
But unfortunately, analytics and advanced metrics is where the divide and the case against Doncic begins.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the on April 8, 2025 at Paycom Center in , Oklahoma. (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
The anti-Doncic crowd will point to his plus-4 net rating. Theyāll stack that next to Jokicās plus-10.4, SGAās plus-14.8, and Wembyās gaudy plus-17.3 and call it decisive. Theyāll bring up the defensive metrics as well, where admittedly, Doncic lags behind. Theyāll remind you, correctly, that the other finalists are all two-way players, including Wemby who at 22 years old just became the youngest and first ever u.
All fair points.
But when did the MVP award become less about overall value to a team and more about the completeness of an individual player?
Not since in the 2014-15 season has a player ever led the league in scoring and not finished as a top three MVP finalist.
Doncicās MVP campaign is messy. Heās ball-dominant. Heās emotional and racks up technical fouls like dishes. Heās defensively inconsistent. He doesnāt check every box.
And yet, in the month of March, Doncic dominated the entire league. The Lakers went 16-2 over an 18-game stretch. Doncic was the undisputed Player of the Month, breaking ās franchise record, and finishing second only to Michael Jordan with 600 points. His MVP odds surged. He went from out of the race, to second behind SGA by March 31.
āIf we continue to finish the season the way weāre playing right now, and he continues to play that way ā to me, he is the MVP,ā said Lakersā head coach at the time.
Even Doncic was asked about his MVP case.
āThe better I play, the more I go down in ratings,ā he said in Spanish, half-joking, fully aware of the dialogue going on in the sports talk world.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball during the game against the during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Then came April.
In a head-to-head matchup against SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic had a golden opportunity to put a final exclamation point on his MVP campaign. Instead, he The timing couldnāt have been worse. Doncic would miss the final five games of the season, just as voters were getting ready to make their final selections.
And thereās the rub. Sometimes MVP races arenāt just decided by numbers. Theyāre decided by moments. And in that moment in OKC, Doncicās MVP slipped away.
Because the truth is, had he stayed healthy, had the Lakers lit up OKC in those two late-season matchups, had the Lakers surged to the three-seed, then weāre having a very different conversation right now. Not only would Doncic be the finalist, but maybe heās the favorite.
So was he snubbed?
Not exactly.
But he was minimized.
Voters didnāt ignore him entirely, but they did find reasons to prioritize players who fit the evolving definition of MVP: efficient, elite on both ends of the floor, and attached to team success from start to finish.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Victor Wembanyama of the during the game on April 4, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Still, the omission exposes something bigger. And thatās that the league needs to make some changes.
Changes not just to the 65-minimum games played threshold, thatās obvious. But other changes as well.
How about an NBA Offensive Player of the Year award like the NFL has?
If that award existed, then there wouldnāt even be a debate. Doncic would be holding the trophy.
Q&A
Why wasn't Luka Doncic named an MVP finalist despite leading in scoring?
Doncic's exclusion is attributed to voter biases and advanced metrics that favored other players, despite his historic performance.
What were Luka Doncic's key statistics during the season?
He averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game, leading the league in scoring.
How did injuries to teammates affect Luka Doncic's MVP candidacy?
Injuries to key players like LeBron James and Austin Reaves forced Doncic to carry the Lakers, showcasing his leadership and resilience.
Who are the other MVP finalists alongside Doncic?
The other finalists are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic, all of whom play for top-seeded teams.
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Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 8, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the game on April 4, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
