He's only getting better...

He is only getting better and there's not much the rest of the league can do about it. As a recent article just dropped about Lakers superstar outlook on the season and it can finally be time for Luka Doncic to do something in the NBA that he has never done before. And this might be his best shot in his whole entire NBA career. What's good? I'm Okachan Pakama and this is Lakers Digest coming at you with another video. I'm pulling you through everything we have here for today's video. I just remind you guys to subscribe to the channel if you haven't already to get all of those Laker updates, especially with training camp just one month out guys. So basketball season is coming fast and furious. So if you guys don't miss out on anything going on with the Lakers, make sure you guys are subscribed to Lakers Digest. Now with that out of the way, let's hop straight into topics of this video as an NBA insider thinks Luka can be MVP. So we've been seeing pictures, we've been seeing glimpses of Luka Doncic and his reformed health in the past couple of seasons. And now with this team turning over primarily to him as he is the lead guy with LeBron James leaving to another team. It is Luka Doncic's team and it's finally time to have a conversation that he has a very good shot of becoming an MVP candidate. Next season has a very good shot to win the MVP next year. Just with everything Lakers have going on and an NBA insider from ESPN recently talked about how this could be a possibility here as an insider shared on a recent podcast that he thinks Luka Doncic will win the MVP for this season. And then that insider was Tim McMahon talking about and this is what he said as he said, I think it's pretty set up for Luka to potentially win his first and a narrative where the expectations for the Lakers are low as there has been since LeBron arrived. And if they win 53 games, which is not out of the realm of possibility, if Luka stays healthy, you don't wonder if he's going to have the numbers. If he's going to play, he'll put up MVP numbers. If they win 53 games and he's putting up those kinds of numbers, I think he's going to have a hell of a case. And that is a very interesting standpoint there from Tim McMahon. But there is a lot of things in his favor and backing him and Luka Doncic and the reasoning why he thinks he is going to be winning the MVP next season. And yes, there's going to be a lot of candidates out there. Obviously, you've got Shea Gillis, Alexander, always Nicole Yoke, who's going to be in the conversation as well. Victor Wemenyama has really put himself into the conversation for best player. So there is going to be a lot of names going wrong in that conversation. But Luka Doncic could be in a prime spot to really push his name forward and be the guy to win the MVP next season. And now he doesn't have super high odds, as many as, like I said, these other guys that are in conversation to be in the MVP conversation. But he, like I said, has a lot of things working for him, with the team being reshaped around him. And then also him being the now de facto leader for Los Angeles Lakers makes it seem like it's going to be all on Luka's shoulders to really do what he does best and become an MVP candidate. And just take a look at what he's done just in his career here. And it's kind of crazy that he hasn't won an MVP yet in his career. But if you just look at last season for Luka Doncic, he was incredible in that season. Average 33.5 points per game was really right up there with his second highest scoring average compared to the 23, 24 season. That's when they went to the finals and everything like that. So there is a lot of good things riding for Luka Doncic in his office. And if he stays healthy and due to his better physique and better concentration on focusing on his health and things of that nature, I do think it is very, very viable and very possible that Luka Doncic is going to be an MVP candidate. And just looking at those stats, I think that's crazy to average 33 points per game on a team with LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Now, LeBron James is not on this team. Now this team has been, like I said, reshaped to more better fit Luka Doncic. And the things around him really help him. You got Walker Kessler back there as a big center, that lob threat, that guy in the middle that's going to be a sturdy body. And then you have all these shooters, guys like Quentin Grimes, Colin Sexton, Mamos Kelozvili. You've got Zaire Williams there off the bench. Even the rookie Cam Carr can shoot the ball at a very good degree there. So there is a lot of shooters around Luka Doncic that really festers that really good offensive environment that he is going to use to essentially propel his case into becoming an MVP candidate. And that gets me to my next point here, talking about how there is another thing that's working in Luka's favor here. And that is Luka has the narrative on his side. And what I mean by that is sort of like the storyline that goes along with you winning the MVP. Because it's not just the numbers that really should say that you win the MVP, but it's also the story that goes along with the season. Because these are voted on by a bunch of different journalists and a bunch of different people covering the NBA. Those are all the voters there. So they're looking for that juicy story. They're looking for that good, feel-good story about the whole season. And that really factors into the MVP case there. And with him, I think this is the biggest thing, having LeBron James leave this team. And usually when LeBron James leaves your team, that your team is not going to do as well. A lot of people are going to have lesser expectations on you, especially when it comes to the playoff predictions and things of that nature. But if Luka Donjic can all buck all of that trend and have Lakers still possibly even win more games than they did this past season and do it next season, then he's going to have an even bigger case for him to become MVP. And also he's going to be doing it just with him. And Austin Reeves is essentially the other close to all-star caliber guy. We'll see about a guy like Walker Kessler and see if he grows into that. But just really with Austin Reeves, who's kind of like a fringe, maybe all-star guy if you ask some people around the league there. So it's going to be all mostly on Luka Donjic's shoulders and what he can do not only as a leader of his team, but as a guy that's going to be leading the offense and be a guy that what everything the Lakers do kind of is going to revolve around him there. So everything is kind of working in his favor from that standpoint with, you know, the team, like I said, being built around him. Now it's now his team and his way is going to be the way that it goes in Los Angeles. So however well he does and plays this season is going to really determine how he stacks up there at the end in that huge MVP conversation there at the end of the season there. But a lot of things, I guess, boding well for Luka Donjic, him averaging 33 points per game in a season where he didn't possibly have always the best offensive options around him. And yes, you did have a guy like Rory Hachimura, who was a great outside shooter and also guys who were pretty good glue guys, like a Marcus Smart. And obviously you had LeBron James and guys like also Luke Conard when we got towards the end of the season. But now with this team, which I think is more better suited to fit around him, guys like Quentin Grimes, guys like Colin Sexton, guys like Mamu Kalasvili, guys like Walker Kessler, I think all fit better around Luka Donjic, which should only prop him up offensively. And then you have all of these motor hustle, defensive guys off the bench there that can really help in some of those units there and really cover for Luka Donjic, especially defensively, which is where I think a lot of people see him struggling. But there is going to be a lot of guys on his team that are going to take up that challenge and take that mantle to really guard the other team's best player. And that really frees up Luka Donjic to kind of be like a free safety in some situations and be that big rebounder that he has been the past couple seasons. He's been an excellent rebounding guard ever since he's becoming into ever since he came to the NBA. And so I think that is going to just only not add to his numbers, Eric, because he's going to be high, close to a 30 point per game score there. And then the guy is going to be averaging close to double digits assists, if not double digits assists. And then along with the rebounding too, that just makes his case even more known for that numbers case. And then, like I said, he's going to have that narrative right behind him since LeBron James left the Los Angeles Lakers there. But a lot of good things, a lot of things to be excited for if you're a Los Angeles Lakers fan, especially if you think Luka Donjic is going to be an MVP next season. Let us know in the comments down below, what do you think of Luka Donjic's chances of becoming an MVP next season? Or do you think there is something more at work where you think the league is going to go with another player? Maybe it is Victor Mbiama's time to become an MVP in this league. Or maybe there is somebody else of that nature. Maybe it's Anthony Edwards of the T-Wolves or somebody of that nature. Let us know there in the comments down below. I've been your host, Okechi Pakoma, and I'll catch you guys on the next one.