It has been a fantastic season for Luka Dončić so far, drawing significant attention to his performance and MVP candidacy.
Dončić, who seems very comfortable in his second season in Los Angeles, is averaging a league-high 35.2 points while dishing out 9.2 assists and 8.8 rebounds per game.
Most importantly, with LeBron James back on the court, Austin Reaves, and a revamped roster, the Lakers have started the season 13-4, tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Where Does Luka Dončić Rank in the MVP Ladder?
In NBA.com’s latest edition of their MVP Ladder, three-time MVP, center Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, leads the way, averaging 29.1 points, 13.2 rebounds and 11.1 assists per game. Last year’s winner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is ranked second. He’s averaging 32.0 points, 6.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. Despite leading the league in scoring, Dončić is just third on the list, beating out Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham.
Explaining his case, NBA.com’s Shaun Powell writes, “Dončić remains on a production streak that’s either the best regular-season stretch of his career, or close enough. He’s averaging nearly a triple-double, has eight double-doubles, and is leading the league in scoring as the Lakers, despite the return of LeBron James, have given him the keys.”
Dončić has also seen improvement in a heavily criticized portion of his game.
“Another notable improvement with Dončić is defense,” Powell writes. “He has a five-steal game and a pair of four-steal games. The all-around play of Dončić is one reason the Lakers are off to a solid start, with James playing only one game during that time.”
Fans React to Luka Dončić’s Position on the Latest MVP Ladder
Fans expressed their displeasure on social media over Dončić’s position in the latest MVP Ladder.
“How is Luka not #1???,” this fan asked.
How is Luka not #1???
— 𝟐𝟑 👑 (@BronWorld) November 28, 2025
Some fans believe Dončić’ will overtake Jokić in no time, saying “luka coming for that number one jokic don’t run.”
luka coming for that number one jokic don’t run
— zaynn (@duppedingser) November 28, 2025
Another fan thought Dončić would make up for this early-season snub by the end of the season, proclaiming “Luka is wining the MVP.”
Luka is wining the mvp
— ODIGIE (@Odig_ie) November 28, 2025
Others didn’t think it would take long for Luka to rise up this list: “By January, Luka will be no. 1.”
By January, Luka will be no. 1
— Huggy (@DeyLuvHuggy) November 28, 2025
Others took solace in the fact that Doncic at least moved up from prior lists: “Took them way too long to put Luka in the top 3 lmao.”
It will be interesting to see how Dončić’s MVP pursuit progresses for the remainder of the season. If he maintains this high level of play and the Lakers continue winning, he will remain a strong contender for his first MVP award.