JJ Redick Clearly States: "Luka Doncic should be the MVP"

The candidacy of Luka Doncic for the NBA MVP has taken on a new dimension in the final stretch of the season, driven not only by his performance but also by the public endorsement of his coach at the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick.

Prior to the game against the Washington Wizards, Redick was clear in assessing the impact of the Slovenian guard on the Los Angeles team. "If we finish the season as we are playing right now, and he keeps playing like this, for me, he is the MVP," stated the coach, emphasizing Doncic's current form and his direct influence on the results.

The coach highlighted both the early season and the recent dominance of the player. Since February 28th, Doncic has led the Lakers to a record of 14-2, averaging 36.5 points on 49.3% shooting from the field (39% from three-point range), along with 8.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. According to Redick, this level is not a one-time surprise: "When we started 15-4, you could already argue that he was the MVP. He has been the MVP in two of the three stages of the season."

The collective impact also reinforces his candidacy. Since January 18th, the Lakers have a record of 24-10—one of the best in the league during that period—propelling them to the third spot in the West. "He is the engine behind all our victories," explained Redick. "We have many players fulfilling their roles, but he is the conductor."

Another aspect the coach wanted to highlight is the player's physical evolution: "His physical condition right now is probably the best since his early years in the league."

At 27 years old, Doncic continues to pursue an MVP that has eluded him despite his consistency at the elite level. In the 2023-24 season, he finished third (an award won by Nikola Jokic), eighth in 2022-23 (with Joel Embiid as the winner), fifth in 2021-22 (Jokic), sixth in 2020-21 (Jokic), and fourth in 2019-20 (Giannis Antetokounmpo).

Following the victory against the Brooklyn Nets, in which he later couldn't participate due to a suspension after accumulating his 16th technical foul, Doncic himself expressed his puzzlement at the lack of recognition in the race for the award. "The better I play, the lower I am in the rankings. I don't know what more I can do," he commented.

In a previous statement, after scoring 60 points against the Miami Heat, he avoided making any personal campaign: "It's you, the media, who vote. I have nothing to do with it."

Doncic's Numbers

His statistics, in any case, fuel the debate. He leads the NBA in scoring with 33.7 points per game, tops the league in games of 40 or more points (15) and 30 or more (43), and ranks third in assists with 8.2. Additionally, he adds a more comprehensive contribution: 7.8 rebounds per game (third among guards), 1.6 steals (sixth in the league), and a prominent presence in defensive actions like drawing offensive fouls.

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