Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has thrown his full support behind Luka Dončić in the MVP race. The former NBA guard said the Lakers star is in his best shape in years and is playing at an elite level again. His comments come as Dončić leads a late-season surge for the Lakers.
JJ Redick Backs Luka Dončić’s MVP Case as Lakers Surge Late in Season
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared Redick’s strong statement on X on March 30, 2026.
“JJ Redick says Luka Doncic’s fitness right now is ‘probably as good as it’s been since he was a first- or second-year player.’ He added that he believes Doncic is the MVP of the league, citing him having the best first third and best last third of the season out of anyone.”
Redick’s backing comes at a time when Dončić is on a hot streak. The Lakers’ new franchise face is leading the league in scoring with 33.7 points per game.
Los Angeles has also picked up form late in the season. After early concerns about defense and a top-heavy offense, the Lakers have climbed to third in the Western Conference with a 49-26 record. They have gone 15-2 in their last 17 games.
At the center of this run is Dončić. Over 16 of those 17 games, he has averaged 36.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, carrying the team night after night. Dončić missed the Lakers’ latest game against the Washington Wizards due to a one-game suspension.
Even with these numbers, Dončić is still fourth in the MVP race, behind Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic.
One major concern remains his defense. It is often seen as his biggest weakness and a key reason why some voters are hesitant.
Chris Mannix pointed this out on Thursday’s episode of “Open Floor: SI’s NBA Show.”
“The defensive numbers have just been bad… So, he has been, in any measurable statistic, one of the worst defensive players in the league, and when the competition is this close, I’ve gotta factor that in.”
Still, Dončić is leaning on his explosive outings night after night for his MVP case. After dropping 41 points in a 119-109 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, he spoke about the MVP race.
“Yeah, hopefully, but the better I play, the more I go down in ratings, so I don’t know what else I can do,” Dončić said in Spanish when asked if he was confident about winning MVP.
Tristan Rawcliffe of PFSN also noted the stakes. If Dončić keeps up his current numbers and the Lakers win at least two more games, it would be his second season averaging at least 33 points per game on a 50-win team without winning MVP. The last time that happened, in the 2023-24 season with the Dallas Mavericks, he reached the NBA Finals for the first time.
