Luka Doncic Is on Pace for One of the Greatest Individual Seasons of All Time
Luka leads early in the NBA MVP race, thanks to his historic 9-game run to start the season.
We all know Luka Doncic to be an all-time great offensive talent. He’s shown time and time again in his 9-year career, going all the way back to his rookie season, how great a player he is. Knowing that, it is nothing short of spectacular that he’s managed to elevate his game even further as he begins the 2026-2027 campaign.
He already has five 40+ point games; the closest players have just two. He scored 52 points in the third game of the season against the Jazz. He leads the league in transition points. He leads the league in points in general at an incredible 38.5 points per game. The second leading scorer is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 30.1 points.
It’s not just the high-volume scoring; he’s making his shots at an alarmingly efficient rate. He’s currently shooting a career-high 13.6 three-pointers per game and nailing 43% of them. He’s shooting a career-high 89% from the free-throw line, up from his 76% career average. He’s shooting 68.5% true shooting. For comparison, Victor Wembanyama, 2nd in the NBA MVP rankings, sits at a 57% true shooting percentage.
Shattering the Record Books
Doncic, after Wednesday’s win over the Kings, now has the 3rd most 40-point games before turning 28 years old; only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain have more. He became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to score 300+ points in the first 8 games of the season.
Not only is he shattering league-wide records, but he’s already made his stamp on Lakers history just 100 games into his tenure. Comparing Luka’s first 100 games as a Laker to the first 100 of other Laker greats, Luka has more points than Shaq, more rebounds than James Worthy, more assists than Magic Johnson, more steals than Kobe, and more three-pointers than LeBron, via StatMuse.
Defensively, the area where Doncic’s game has drawn the most criticism has improved dramatically. Opposing players are being held to just 21.9% from the field inside the arc when guarded by Luka (minimum 30 attempts), leading the NBA in that category. He’s averaging nearly 2 steals a game as well. He himself noted that he feels he has improved on both ends of the floor.
Doncic’s scorching hot start has led the Lakers to a 7-2 record in their first 9 games, and he is comfortably the early NBA MVP favorite.
If he maintains these numbers for the rest of the season, he will be on pace for one of, if not the greatest, individual seasons in NBA history.
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