Luka Doncic made an incredible push in March to really insert himself into the NBA MVP race. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar hovered in the discussion all year, but an otherworldly stretch this past month finally forced people to fully pay attention to him. Alas, it was all for nothing.
Doncic's hamstring injury will keep him out for the rest of the regular season and force him to miss the 65-game threshold, making him ineligible for the MVP award altogether, barring an exception being granted. Even without that terrible rule in place, the latest ailment would have effectively crushed his push for the honor all the same.
This MVP race has been very competitive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the classic best player on the best team gimmick working in his favor again. Victor Wembanyama has been a two-way monster that the NBA is more than exciting to force into the narrative. Nikola Jokic has delivered his typical all-around heroics. The field was absolutely stacked.
Losing five more games to make his case after the brutal beatdown at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder really is the nail in the coffin for Doncic. Despite all the talk of the incredible four-man race, there may be a crystal clear winner from this point onward.
Luka Doncic's MVP bid will fall short as a familiar name collects the prize
Tim Bontemps recently shared the results of ESPN's most recent straw poll for MVP and the winner was a massive runaway. If the results there mimic what happens in reality, Gilgeous-Alexander is set to capture his second straight individual honor in that category.
SGA cleaned up a whopping 88 first-place votes. It was a runaway. Wembanyama, who came in second, only managed to capture eight for himself, by comparison.
This is, unfortunately for Lakers fans, pretty fair game at this stage. As the figurehead leading an incredible team, Gilgeous-Alexander has all the right optics and success to win the MVP in back-to-back years.
That now makes it eight seasons in the NBA for Doncic without claiming an award that many thought would be in his trophy cabinet by now. After exploding onto the scene in his sophomore campaign, there was a feeling of inevitability when it came to Luka hoisting up the MVP.
At 27 years old, the pendulum has swung in the complete opposite direction. Most are now questioning what Doncic would have to do to capture the full attention of MVP voters.
The recent stretch of nuclear play from Luka gripped everyone in believing that maybe, just maybe, it was time for a serious momentum shift at the top of the ladder for this individual award. Instead, all the campaigning will be pushed back to the 2026-27 season.