As many have campaigned for Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic to be the MVP for the current season, there are also a plethora of doubters as to why he isn't the favorite for the award. Even Austin Reaves believes it's insane that the Lakers' star in Doncic doesn't get enough MVP recognition, though this analyst believes he's not the top choice for the honors.

Rachel Nichols was on the show “Open Floor,” produced by Sports Illustrated, where she was asked about some saying that Doncic should be one of the leading names for MVP. With the top two for MVP being Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, Nichols would say Doncic is not the “top contender,” citing his defense, though she believes the outrage for that side is overblown.

“Is he the top contender for MVP right now? No,” Nichols said. “Is the reason because you do have to play both sides of the ball for all eight months of the season? Yes. I mean, he has definitely been improving. I am the loudest voice that Luka is not the defensive liability that people think he is once he gets to the playoffs.”

“He cares differently, he plays differently, and it is a full-season award, and it is for both sides of the ball,” Nichols continued. “So, am I gonna vote him my number one for MVP? No. Is he gonna be on my ballot? Absolutely.”

The one area in which Doncic arguably beats Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic is that the Los Angeles guard is showcasing an unbelievable scoring season, currently averaging an NBA-best 33.7 points per game. To go along with 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game on 47.6 percent from the field, his name will continue to be talked about for MVP.