Draymond Green witnessed how Luka Doncic led the Los Angeles Lakers in dismantling the Golden State Warriors, 127-105, in their season opener on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.
Doncic tallied all-around numbers of 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in 30 minutes. It was an early statement from the six-time All-Star, who could win the MVP trophy for the first time.
Green, however, was apprehensive about the idea. In a report from The Athletic's Sam Amick, Green acknowledged that Doncic is an elite player. The veteran forward, however, claimed that the league's climate does not bode well for the prolific guard.
“I don't think there's anything that he can do (to win it). By the way, it's not a knock on him. I don't think there is anything that he can do. If they're the one, two, three seed, great. It's still Luka Doncic. No one is going to be surprised that Luka Doncic's team is the fourth seed. Nobody. He's that good. There's no element of surprise,” said Green.
“I just think, ultimately, he gets screwed because of it, and it's probably a little unfair. Anybody else puts those numbers up, and they're walking away with the MVP. Like, home free. That's why I made the comparison to Bron (LeBron James). He's got, what, four MVPs? You're telling me he wasn’t the best player in the NBA for at least 10 seasons? It's greatness fatigue.”
Last season, Doncic finished fourth in MVP voting. He led the Lakers to 53 wins, averaging a league-best 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals. He missed the latter part of the season due to a hamstring injury, whic also kept him out of the playoffs.
Article Continues BelowIn a preseason survey, Doncic was not among the top choices to win the MVP award. Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves led the annual poll.
The Lakers have had five winners of the MVP trophy: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant.