JJ Redick gives cool take on why Luka Doncic isn’t getting MVP consideration

Despite having one of the best seasons of his impressive career, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is not receiving serious MVP consideration this year. His coach explained the reason: saying the quiet part out loud.

Thursday night, Doncic once again showed why he truly is a special talent on the offensive side of the ball. In the Lakers’ 134-126 win over the Miami Heat, the six-time All-Star scored 60 points. It’s the second time he’s scored 60 — but it’s a far cry from the 73 he scored in a game against the Atlanta Hawks two years ago.

His latest offensive outburst comes a day after scoring 40 in a win over the Houston Rockets and a week after a 51-point night in a win against the Chicago Bulls. Still, these are not the results of a few weeks of heated play. Doncic has been the NBA’s best offensive player all year.

Doncic currently leads the NBA in points per game (33.4) after averaging a league leading 35.8 minutes per night. The 27-year-old also ranks second in made threes (4.0) and free throws (7.9) and third in assists (8.9). There is no better player on offense in the NBA, and with the Lakers in third place in the Western Conference, Doncic seems worthy of MVP consideration.

However, as we approach the final few weeks of the regular season, the Slovenian doesn’t appear to be in the conversation for the award with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, Victor Wembanyama and Cade Cunningham.

Is Luka Doncic’s reputation for complaining ruining his MVP chances?

Lakers head coach JJ Redick explains why Luka Doncic isn’t featured more prominently in MVP discussions: “Because he complains to the refs, I don’t know”
By u/oat38 in the nba

After Doncic’s 60-point night, Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked by a reporter why his top star does not appear in the NBA MVP discussion. His one simple response was saying the quiet part out loud. “Because he complains to the refs? I don’t know,” Redick said.

Redick’s nervousness is understandable, but Luka Doncic’s night arguing with the refs seemed to be at an annoying extreme and has been a topic of conversation during the season. Additionally, he has been the focus of several viral videos this season regarding his complete lack of effort on defense.

Still, is his offense and defensive effort still enough to warrant NBA MVP consideration given the kind of numbers he’s posting on offense? It will be interesting to see how the final votes look in a month.

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After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

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David Edelman backs Nikola Jokic to lose his cool when opponents take cheap shots

Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman continues to defend All-Star Nikola Jokic for his actions in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s 127-121 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Edelman didn’t care for Lou Dort’s apology for drawing the flagrant-2 foul on Jokic. When Dort intentionally knocked down the MVP candidate in the backcourt by going over his injured left knee, Nikola was furious.

Edelman understands Jokic’s frustration, having to deal with the physicality of opposing teams that run the line on dirty plays is enough for any player. lose one’s temper According to the DNVR Nuggets, he said, in the heat of competition at a high level.

“It’s not biased towards my own player. Nobody in the league is being guarded like he is. Nobody. Nobody is sitting on the knees of other MVPs. Nobody is taking shots the way he’s taking them. But that’s our reality,” Edelman said. “And so, we’ve got to continue to try to win games. He’s got to play through that physicality. I’ve got to find places on the court where he can play in space – that’s on me. So, there [are] No excuse. If the whistle doesn’t blow, it won’t blow.

“The game continues. We will deal with it as long as we can. Also, I have no problem with his reaction. Like I said, reacting is part of being a human being. If this continues, we will react accordingly.”

After losing to the Thunder in overtime, the Nuggets suffered another loss at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves (117–108), but bounced back with a 128–125 win against the Utah Jazz.

David Edelman calls out Thunder for not reacting to Lu Dort

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) practices before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center
David Gonzales-Imagen Images

Nuggets head coach David Edelman was amazed by the Thunder’s response to Lou Dort’s blatant -2 foul on Nikola Jokic. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault expected the same result if the situation had been reversed, but he never condemned Dort for his actions. Lu’s teammates chalked it up to a spur-of-the-moment play.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, for Edelman, Jocic losing his temper was justified due to the severity of Dort’s foul.

“He’s a more measured guy throughout the season — I think most guys are. If they’re measured they’re more productive. But there’s a point where we play these games, and he tackles anybody on the night [would] React that way. For Dort to take that shot – and then I guess it was no big deal from his perspective, how he saw it – is ridiculous. He was malicious. It was a cheap shot.

“Lou Dort is a great player, and I haven’t seen him do that before. But at some point, you have to stand up for yourself, and so does the team. They’re a great team. That’s what that game was. But, yeah, Nikola, that’s who he is, man. You can’t have the success that he’s had and you can’t be as competitive. He’s got emotions inside of him that he keeps under control, but the guy is very capable and very willing to respond emotionally,” Edelman said. Concluded.

The Nuggets will face the Thunder on Monday at Paycom Center.


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VJ Edgecombe plays it cool ahead of Victor Vembanyama matchup

When it comes to VJ Edgecombe, the Philadelphia 76ers rookie is as good as they come.

One of the best young players in the NBA who still can’t legally take the bar, Edgecombe has quickly established himself as a long-term starter for the 76ers, to the extent that Daryl Morey was willing to trade another young guard, Jared McCain, to guarantee maximum runway for the No. 3 overall pick.

So naturally, when Edgecombe gets a chance to showcase his fast-growing game on national television, especially against a future face of the league like Victor Wembanyama, he’ll have extra motivation to show up and show it on the court, right?

Eh, not so much, as before the game, Edgecombe had a simple answer for reporter Ashlyn Sullivan when asked if he was excited to face off against “The Alien.”

Eh, not really,” Edgecombe announced.

A true success story of perseverance, Edgecombe came from a home in the Bahamas that used a generator to produce electricity to being a consensus five-star recruit who played his college ball at Baylor, and ultimately being the third-overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, where he was selected by Morey over other options like Kon Knueppel and Ace Bailey.

Widely known as more of an athlete than a finished product coming into the NBA, Edgecombe looks quite polished as he prepares for his first trip to the NBA postseason, averaging 15.5 points, 3.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds a night, while playing really good defense and hitting 36.3 percent of his 5.8 3-pointers per game. If Edgecombe keeps this up, he will not only finish his rookie season with a spot on the All-Rookie team, but will also look forward to facing a star player like Wembley in the future.


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