Luka Doncic scored 52 points Sunday. Austin Reaves has barely missed a shot through three games. The Los Angeles Lakers are undefeated.
Yet neither Lakers star won the Western Conference’s first Player of the Week award.
Instead, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome earned the honor Monday after an unexpected scoring explosion to begin the 2026-27 season, the NBA announced.
Doncic and Reaves were among the other nominees, but Jerome’s remarkable opening week proved difficult to overlook.
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves Lose NBA Player of the Week
Doncic had a compelling case, particularly after Sunday’s 132-123 comeback victory over the Utah Jazz.
The Slovenian superstar erupted for 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, delivering the NBA’s first 50-point performance of the season.
However, that wasn’t his only impressive outing.
Through three games, Doncic averaged 34.3 points, 8.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 46.4% from the field.
His scoring average placed him just behind Jerome among the league’s early leaders.
Reaves also built a strong case through consistency and efficiency.
The Lakers guard scored 23 points against Golden State, followed by 28 against the Clippers and 29 against Utah.
Reaves averaged 26.7 points, 6.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds while shooting an outstanding 63.9% from the field and 61.5% from the 3-point range.
Those numbers reflect how effectively he has complemented Doncic.
Despite their impressive production and Los Angeles’ 3-0 record, the Lakers’ backcourt duo missed out on the award.
Ty Jerome’s Incredible Start Gives Grizzlies Edge
Jerome’s victory might have surprised casual NBA fans, but his numbers explain the decision.
The Memphis guard averaged a league-leading 34.7 points, along with 5.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 56.3% from the field.
He opened the season with a career-high 45 points against Utah.
Jerome followed with 28 against Golden State before scoring 31 in Sunday’s 123-112 victory over Sacramento.
That gave him 104 points through three games.
Jerome became just the second player in Grizzlies history to score at least 100 points in his team’s first three games, joining Ja Morant.
Memphis also opened 3-0, matching the Lakers’ unbeaten record.
Interestingly, Jerome held only a narrow scoring advantage over Doncic, averaging 0.4 more points per game.
However, his consistent production and efficient shooting helped separate him from a competitive field.
Reaves actually shot considerably better than both players, although his scoring average was lower.
Lakers Stars Remain Among NBA’s Early Standouts
The Western Conference nominees also included Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Amen Thompson.
That competition underscores how difficult winning a weekly award can be, even after an extraordinary individual performance.
For the Lakers, the bigger story remains their promising start.
Doncic has established himself as the offense’s centerpiece, while Reaves continues to thrive alongside him.
Together, they averaged 61 points per game through Los Angeles’ first three contests.
The Lakers will attempt to remain unbeaten Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jerome claimed the season’s first Western Conference honor. But Doncic and Reaves have already made a compelling case that the Lakers possess one of basketball’s most dangerous offensive partnerships.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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