Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has impressed in this 2025-26 NBA season and has earned plenty of MVP buzz. Doncic is viewed as among the top contenders for the award, but former NBA player Channing Frye wouldn’t have him in his top two. Frye, who was teammates with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, stated on the Road Trippin’ Show that he needs to see the Slovenian do more defensively.
“I don’t think you should be first or second in MVP vote if you’re top-five worst defender in the NBA,” Frye said. “I just don’t think so. He is statistically a top-five worst defender in the NBA. Yes, every sentence that you guys said, said offensively. We are talking about complete players… Yes, he is stratosphere offensively. He is timeless and amazing, and we’ll be talking about his offensive game for the rest of basketball.
“He does not put that much energy into the defensive end,” Frye continued. “Until he’s not top-10 worst defender in NBA, I don’t have him as one or two. I just don’t respect that part… I think he’s amazing. I think he can do it. He chooses not to for the offensive side. So, just give me a little bit more effort on the defensive side, and then yes, give him the nod. But I just can’t. He’s just playing offense.
“He’s not a quarterback,” Frye added. “He’s a basketball player.”
No matter how hard Doncic tries, he is never going to become an elite defender, primarily due to his lack of speed. That said, it is true that the Slovenian doesn’t always put in a lot of effort on that end of the floor. When he does try, he doesn’t look all that bad.
Doncic was great defensively down the stretch against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The Mavericks were targeting him, and he got one stop after another. Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised Doncic’s defense after the game, and he certainly deserved a pat on the back for his efforts. You’d like to see him do that on a more consistent basis, but the argument, of course, is that he is having to spend too much energy on offense.
That is true, but once Austin Reaves is back from his calf injury, the burden on Doncic offensively would be the lowest it has been at any point in his career. It would be more than fair then to demand more effort.
Despite all his defensive deficiencies, Doncic is probably second in the MVP race as things stand, with Nikola Jokic set to be out of contention due to the 65-game rule. The 26-year-old is averaging 33.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for a Lakers team that is fifth in the West with a 28-17 record.
Doncic has been spectacular offensively, but the Lakers will need to do a lot more winning if he is to take the lead in this MVP race.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the overwhelming favorite to win the award again. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for an Oklahoma City Thunder team that has a league-best 38-10 record.
That gap in the win column between the Thunder and the Lakers has to get reduced significantly for Doncic to snatch the MVP award from Gilgeous-Alexander. Will that happen? Probably not, but time will tell.
We’ll see Doncic in action next when the Lakers take on the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on Wednesday at 7 PM ET.
