After a disappointing individual performance against the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic bounced back with a vengeance on Sunday night against the Utah Jazz. With a 52-point outburst to lead Los Angeles to a 132-123 win, Doncic reminded the league of his reputation as one of the best players in the world. However, Draymond Green made an interesting observation after this outing.
Year after year, Luka Doncic has proven himself to be one of the best offensive players in the NBA. After being criticized for his weight and conditioning, the superstar showed a commitment to his health in an effort to prove naysayers wrong. While many believe he is destined to win the MVP award soon because of this transformation, Green suggests otherwise.
During a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the Warriors veteran reiterated why Luka Doncic would not win an MVP award. In alignment with his previous remarks, Green explained:
“Luka drops his first 50-ball of the season, and you ask yourself the question, is he on a mission? An MVP mission this season. And I think yes. For sure. That’s his mindset, and he’s made that very clear. Now, this is his first year with Bron; he put out a letter to the fans and all that… And he’s come out and played that way. But I still don’t think he’s going to win MVP.”
“The moment he has a few bad games or, you know, an injury that costs him a couple games, people are going to flip back on him,” Green added. “‘Oh, the same Luka.’ Right? And that’s just my opinion. I think people get bored with greatness. I think Luka’s been doing great things for a very long time now. And I think they’re going to stay bored with him.”
Although Draymond Green credited Luka Doncic for coming out with the right mindset to win the MVP award and be the leader the Lakers need, the veteran clearly expressed that success in this venture is beyond the superstar’s grasp.
Since the MVP award is essentially decided by a panel of voters, factors such as bias are inevitable. In this case, Green pointed to voter fatigue, which could lead to Doncic falling out of favor as a candidate.
“I think Luka has come out with the mindset of like, ‘Yo, MVP-type mindset,'” Green continued. “However, I still wholeheartedly believe he never wins an MVP because he’s in year nine, and the people who vote, they’ve already moved on. Hopefully, for his sake, he can go beat that out, but I stand by what I said. Voters get fatigued with seeing you be great over and over again, and if you haven’t jumped that threshold of the MVP grade, then they move on. And they’ve moved on. Maybe he can pull them back, but they’ve moved on, and I don’t think it’s happening.”
In some ways, it is difficult to argue with Draymond Green’s observations. Despite winning the scoring title last season, Luka Doncic wasn’t even a finalist for the MVP award. Obviously, this does not take away from the performances of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (winner), Nikola Jokic (runner-up), or Victor Wembanyama in the slightest. But there is reason to believe that the Lakers’ superstar is being overlooked.
It is too early to make predictions about the end-of-season awards, but it is fair to assume that Luka Doncic will be in the conversation. However, with health emerging as a key criterion for eligibility, the superstar must first remain available enough to establish himself as a candidate before solidifying his case.