Draymond Green believes Luka Doncic has started the 2026-27 NBA season with an MVP mindset but still does not expect the Los Angeles Lakers superstar to win the award, arguing that voter fatigue could work against him.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, the Golden State Warriors forward stood by his prediction that Doncic will never win the NBA MVP award, despite the guard’s outstanding start to the season.
Doncic delivered a career-high 52 points in the Lakers’ 132-123 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday, adding 10 assists and eight rebounds. He shot 17-of-30 from the field, made eight three-pointers and converted 10 of his 11 free throws.
Green acknowledged that Doncic appears determined to win MVP in his first full season as the Lakers’ unquestioned franchise centerpiece following LeBron James’ departure to Philadelphia, but argued that the voting narrative may already have shifted toward other stars.
“Luka Doncic drops his first 50-ball of the season. And you ask yourself the question, is he on a mission, an MVP mission this season? And I think yes. For sure. That’s his mindset,” Green said.
“However, I still don’t think there’s any chance that the NBA, he’s going to win MVP because the moment he have a few bad games or, you know, an injury that cost him a couple games, people are going to flip back on him. Oh, same Luka. Right? And that’s just my opinion.”
Green believes voters can become accustomed to a player’s excellence, making it harder for that player to win the award if he has not already crossed that threshold.
“I think people get bored with greatness. I think Luka’s been doing great things for a very long time now. And I think they’re going to stay bored with it,” Green said.
He expects Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama to remain prominent in the MVP conversation, suggesting that voters may be more inclined to focus on those players.
“Voters get fatigued with seeing you be great over and over again. And if you haven’t jumped that threshold of the MVP great, then they move on. And they’ve moved on,” Green added. “Maybe he can pull them back, but they moved on and I don’t think it’s happening. But not because of his play.”
Doncic has finished as high as third in MVP voting, in 2023-24, when he averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists for Dallas. He finished fourth in voting last season after averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 64 games for the Lakers.
Through three games this season, Doncic is averaging 34.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists. The Lakers have won all three games, including victories over Golden State, the Clippers and Utah.
