Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick voiced frustration this week after Luka Doncic was left off the list of 2025-26 NBA Most Valuable Player finalists.
The league on Tuesday named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) and Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) as the three contenders for the award. Doncic, who became eligible for postseason honors through a successful appeal despite appearing in fewer than 65 games, was not included.
“I think he deserved to be there,” Redick told reporters. “All three guys who made it have strong cases, but a lot of this is media momentum.”
Player of the Month honors not enough
Doncic captured Western Conference Player of the Month twice after the calendar flipped to 2026—first in January, then again in March. During March he averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range. That surge helped Los Angeles post a 15-2 record for the month and propelled the club into championship conversations.
The forward-guard’s season ended abruptly when he and teammate Austin Reaves suffered injuries in the same game. Reaves is reportedly ahead of Doncic in his rehabilitation, but neither player is close to returning.
Redick points to coverage gap
Redick, who spent three years as a television analyst before taking the Lakers job, suggested that inconsistent national coverage influences award races. “I worked in television; I know it’s important for producers to talk about the Lakers—and not always positively,” he said. “The expectations from fans, internally, and from the media can be completely different things.”
The Lakers finished the regular season outside the top tier of Western Conference standings, a factor Redick acknowledged may have hurt Doncic’s candidacy.
Source: LakersNation.com
