Marc Stein believes the MVP race is not as settled as it looks, and in his view, Luka Doncic is the one player who can seriously challenge Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch. Speaking on SiriusXM Radio, Stein pointed to both production and context, arguing that Luka’s impact on the Los Angeles Lakers is being undervalued in the current conversation.
“I think Luka Doncic is the foremost threat. This Lakers team, if they finish 3rd in the West, it’s a massive overachievement that Luka has dragged them too. I don’t think Luka’s case is being looked at properly.”
“First of all, he’s been much better defensively than advertised, but offensively, he’s been even more otherworldly than he usually is. So I think he’s right there.”
Stein’s case starts with team success relative to expectations. The Lakers sit at 48-26, third in the Western Conference, after a late-season surge that has seen them go 14-2 over their last 16 games. That run has reshaped their season, pushing them from the middle of the standings into a top-tier position.
Stein framed that jump as a direct reflection of Doncic’s influence, calling it a ‘massive overachievement’ given the roster context and injuries around him.
The numbers support the argument. Doncic is averaging 33.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from three. Those are already elite MVP-level numbers, but his recent stretch has taken it further.
Over the last 16 games, he has elevated his production to 36.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, along with 2.3 steals per game, while improving his efficiency to 49.3% from the field and 39.0% from deep. That level of sustained output, combined with team success, is what has pushed him back into the MVP conversation.
Defense has always been the question around Luka, and Stein addressed that directly. For the full season, Doncic holds a defensive rating of 115.2, which ranks in the lower tier across the league. However, that number has improved significantly in recent weeks.
Since the All-Star break, it has dropped to 110.8, and over the Lakers’ current surge, it has dipped further to 109.1. While not elite, that improvement changes the narrative from liability to at least neutral impact, which matters when evaluating a complete MVP case.
Despite all of this, Luka has faced consistent criticism throughout the season. A large part of it has centered on perception, including public takes like Michael Wilbon dismissing his MVP case while discussing his ballot. That narrative has clearly reached Luka himself.
Still, the challenge remains steep. Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best record in the league at 59-16, and that carries weight in MVP voting. His averages of 31.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on 55.1% shooting reflect both efficiency and consistency.
Team dominance has been the foundation of his case all season, and that stability continues to keep him in front.
There is also pressure coming from another direction. Victor Wembanyama has surged into the conversation, averaging 24.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.1 blocks, shooting 50.1% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range.
The San Antonio Spurs are sitting at 56-16 and pushing Oklahoma City for the top seed in the West. If that race flips, it could shift the entire MVP landscape again.
That leaves Doncic in a narrow window. His case is built on individual dominance and a late-season surge that has transformed his team’s standing. Stein’s argument is that this combination deserves more attention, especially given how much responsibility Luka carries offensively.
Whether that push is enough depends on how voters weigh team success against individual impact in the final stretch. For now, Gilgeous-Alexander remains the favorite. But if there is one player closing the gap, it’s Luka Doncic.
