Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers had a strong reaction Sunday night after the NBA announced that Luka Doncic failed to finish in the top-3 of MVP voting.
Doncic, who led the league in scoring (33.5 PPG), will finish behind Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama when the final ballot is announced.
As a result, the Slovenian is set to become the first scoring champion since Russell Westbrook in 2014-15 to finish outside the top 3 in MVP voting. That year, “Brodie” led the league in scoring but finished behind Stephen Curry, James Harden and LeBron James.
Per an MVP tracker that registered ballots of some media members, Doncic received two third-place votes, four fourth-place votes and one fifth-place vote from among 28 media members. Only Khobi Price of the California Post and Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal voted for Doncic as a top-three MVP candidate.
▪️Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, @okcthunder ▪️Nikola Jokić, @nuggets ▪️Victor Wembanyama, @spurs
Lakers Fans React to Luka Doncic News
It’s worth noting that Doncic won two Western Conference Player of the Month awards, as opposed to just the one for Jokic and SGA. Several fans brought up this fact while making a case for Doncic to receive more MVP consideration.
“Kinda late… but why is Luka not on here? Honestly should be number two and replace Jokic. Luka BALLED OUT towards the end of the season!” wrote one fan.
Luka this season: 33.5 PTS (1st) 7.7 REB 8.3 AST (4th) 1.6 STL 47.6% FG 36.6% 3PT
MVP finalists: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 31.6 PTS | 5.5 REB | 6.4 AST | 2.0 STL | 54.0% FG Nikola Jokic 27.8
The media doesn’t hide it anymore 😂
“Media can vote however they want, but it’s the fans watching this league at the end of the day and we’ll never forgive you for this robbery, luka is the real mvp,” wrote one fan.
“I don’t know any player in the history of the league who are 2 times player of the month, 4 times player of the week, led the league in ppg and top 3 in apg but not an mvp candidate,” wrote another Lakers fan.
Lakers Vs Rockets Game 2
Doncic will sit out Game 2 against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night as he continues to rehab his Grade 2 hamstring strain. Per multiple reports, he could potentially return for Game 4 on April 26 or Game 5 on April 29 — unless he suffers a setback in his recovery.
The All-Star guard returned to Los Angeles on Friday after spending a week in Europe, where he underwent specialized treatment for his injured hamstring and also visited his two daughters in Ljubljana. He was all smiles when he sat on the bench during Saturday’s Game 1 win against the Rockets.
“He’s in good spirits and we’re excited to see him today,” Redick said of his best player rejoining the team after being away from the team for over a week.
Redick has refused to offer a definitive timeline for Doncic’s return.
“He’s out indefinitely,” Redick said on Friday, via ESPN’s Lisa Salters.
The Lakers vs. Rockets series will conclude with a Game 7 (if necessary) on May 3. Doncic, who sustained his injury on April 2, would be nearing the four-week timeline for a return around the start of Game 6 on May 1.
Lakers Fans React to Shocking Luka Doncic News Before Game 2 vs Rockets