Luka Doncic’s Defense Shouldn’t Impact MVP Race, Says Former NBA Star Citing Nikola Jokic and Steve Nash

Luka Doncic is one of the favorites to win the MVP award this season.

Luka Doncic’s Defense Shouldn’t Impact MVP Race, Says Former NBA Star Citing Nikola Jokic and Steve Nash

Luka Doncic (Image credits - NBA)

Few players in NBA history have been as gifted and talented as Luka Doncic. Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 3 pick in 2018, Doncic quickly established himself as one of the league’s best players with the Dallas Mavericks.

After spending six years in Dallas, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline last year. With LeBron James parting ways with the organization this summer, the Lakers have officially entered a new era with Doncic as the franchise superstar.

The Lakers guard is in his ninth season and is one of the favorites to win the MVP award this campaign. Despite owning six All-NBA First Team nods in just eight seasons, he has never been all that close to winning the MVP title.

He finished fourth in the MVP race last season even after winning the scoring title and leading the Lakers to a fourth-place finish in a stacked Western Conference. However, critics often point out his defensive liability as one of the main reasons for missing out on the award.

Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins believes Doncic can win the MVP title this season and that his lack of defense shouldn’t hurt his chances.

When it comes to the MVP & Luka we gotta stop talking about defense. There’s been plenty of MVPs that didn’t play defense. (Nikola Jokic) with three…Steve Nash. He’ll never be this defensive guy so to keep putting that as the narrative as why he can’t win, I don’t think that’s fair to Luka.

DeMarcus Cousins on Run It Back

DeMarcus Cousins named Nikola Jokic and Steve Nash as examples of players who were named as MVPs despite being subpar defensively. The four-time All-Star was a critic of Doncic in the past but has changed his opinion on him over the past year.

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Draymond Green believes there is no chance Luka Doncic wins MVP

Luka Doncic is undoubtedly one of the, if not the, best offensive players in the league. He averages 29.3 points and 8.2 assists for his team, and has won two of the last three scoring titles.

However, in his last two seasons, he was playing alongside LeBron James, which may have hurt his MVP chances. But things are different this time, as he is the sole face of the franchise and the front office has built their roster around him this offseason.

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green broke down on why he believes that the Slovenian will never win an MVP in the NBA.

Luka will never win an MVP in the NBA. This is the last possible year he can win it. Because if Luka go average like 34 points per game, they will go like oh, ‘yeah, of course Luka averages 34 points a game’. It won’t be viewed as somebody else averaging those numbers. It’s like people get fatigued of it.

Draymond Green on The Draymond Green Show

While Green said this season will be Doncic’s best and only chance to win the MVP award, he believes voter fatigue may cost him in the end. Doncic has averaged 30+ points in three of the last five seasons, and his performances no longer surprise voters despite his exemplary numbers.

Luka Doncic backed up his 50-ball game with a 41-point performance

Luka Doncic was a scoring machine last season till he suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for the entire postseason. However, it looks like he has picked up right where he left off this campaign.

Luka Doncic against Portland Trail Blazers
Luka Doncic against Portland Trail Blazers (Image credits – Mint)

He exploded with a 52-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Sunday night, which many believed would have boosted his MVP chances. The 27-year-old backed it up with a 41-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

Five games into the season, Doncic currently leads the scoring charts as he is averaging 36 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. He is in the prime of his career, and many believe that he is one of the players under immense pressure to deliver a championship next year.

Heading into the 2026-27 campaign, Doncic made his intentions of winning the championship clear and is also open about winning the MVP title. With several players dealing with injuries, health will also play a key role for the Lakers star.

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