Luka Doncic has wasted no time taking over the early MVP race, and the numbers back it up.
With the Los Angeles Lakers off to a 7-2 start heading into Friday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Doncic has become the driving force behind the league’s hottest team. The 27-year-old is putting together what looks like the best stretch of his career, and NBA insider Zach Lowe said on a recent podcast that Doncic is his MVP favorite.
Zach Lowe calls Luka Doncic hisMVP favorite right now:"MVP favorite as of now, and just unguardable, completely unguardable." pic.twitter.com/hSPGQePu52
Doncic’s production has been outrageous through eight games. He is on pace for career highs with 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 49.5% from the field and 43.1% from three. That three-point mark would top his previous best of 38.2% from the 2023-24 season, when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals.
The league’s own early MVP ladder points the same direction. In the NBA’s first KIA NBA MVP ladder of the season, Doncic sits in the top spot, with the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander right behind him.
“It’s early, yet the positioning has begun for the league’s most desired individual award. Stats matter, obviously - being among the leaders in scoring or rebounds or assists or blocks will get you considered. And those who rank in multiple categories will get heavy… pic.twitter.com/bVYhiVYpbL
DraftKings also has Doncic as the new MVP favorite at +200, moving him ahead of Wembanyama.
What makes the start even more striking is how complete it has been. The Lakers are winning, Doncic’s offensive numbers are elite, and his blend of scoring, efficiency and overall production has pushed him squarely into the MVP conversation.
There’s also been a noticeable step forward on defense. That side of the floor has long been viewed as one of the weaker parts of his game, but Doncic has looked sharper there early this season. He’s moving his feet better, staying active away from the ball and showing a level of engagement that hasn’t always defined his play.
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The rotation picture gets a little more complicated from there, with one Lakers big man still in question and another important frontcourt piece on track to suit up after a recent hand scare. For a team trying to keep its footing in the standings, the final call on the front line could shape not just the matchup with Portland, but the broader race at the top of the West. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Are Reshaping The Offense To Make Life Easier For Luka
The Lakers have been adjusting the way they start possessions, with JJ Redick saying the idea is to let other players handle the early work so Luka Doncic does not have to carry the full burden of bringing the ball up and organizing everything himself. The plan is built around teammates advancing the ball and setting screens to help create cleaner entry points for Doncic, giving him a chance to get into the action with more space and less immediate pressure.
It is the kind of structural tweak that can matter over the course of a season, especially for a player who draws so much attention the moment he crosses half court. Redick said the approach was already in place before the season, which suggests this is not a quick fix so much as a deliberate attempt to improve the offense by making possessions easier to start and more efficient to finish. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Had The Perfect Reaction To A Huge Lakers Breakthrough
Walker Kessler has quickly become one of the Lakers most important two-way pieces this season, giving them a steady defensive anchor while also providing enough offense to matter on the other end. His impact has shown up in the kind of numbers that usually belong to the leagues best rim protectors, and it has helped give Los Angeles a different kind of backbone as the season has unfolded.
So when the conversation turned to where he stands among the NBAs shot blockers, Kesslers response carried the kind of casual confidence Lakers fans tend to appreciate. He already knows Victor Wembanyama is ahead of him, but the bigger question is who else has managed to separate himself in that race, and Kesslers reaction made clear he is paying attention to the company he is keeping. [Read more 🡒]