Arguably, no one has made scoring look as easy as Luka Dončić over the past eight seasons.

Still, Bleacher Report ranked the Los Angeles Lakers superstar as the NBA’s second-best scorer heading into the 2026-27 campaign, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The ranking drew pushback after the top 10 circulated on X over the weekend. Dončić led the NBA with 33.5 points per game last season to claim his second scoring title, while Gilgeous-Alexander has won only one, leaving some fans questioning what more the former needs to do to earn the top spot.

Luka Dončić’s No. 2 Scorer Ranking Raises Eyebrows After 2nd NBA Scoring Title

The order came from a Bleacher Report staff vote, with player summaries written by Andy Bailey, and the write-up was full of praise for Dončić. The outlet noted that the 27-year-old sits third all-time in career scoring average (29.2 ppg) and wrote that he has “an outside shot of being considered the greatest scorer in NBA history.”

With that résumé on the page, Dončić had fans rallying to his side.

“Shai is not a better scorer than Luka. Not even close,” one fan replied.

Another needed only five words: “Luka clears as a scorer.”

Their case is pretty straightforward. Dončić captured his first scoring title with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2023-24 season, averaging a career-high 33.9 ppg.

Gilgeous-Alexander claimed the next one at 32.7 ppg in the 2024-25 campaign. Dončić then took the belt back last season, finishing comfortably ahead of the Thunder star’s 31.1 ppg mark.

One Lakers fan account reached back to last spring for proof: “Never forget when Luka averaged 40 in March.”

The official figure was 37.5 ppg across 16 outings, which earned Dončić Western Conference Player of the Month honors. His season ended in early April when he was injured in a blowout loss to the Thunder. The hamstring injury kept him sidelined for the playoffs while LeBron James led the undermanned Lakers to the second round.

Another fan argued that Dončić belonged at No. 1, pointing to his offensive efficiency and elite half-court shot creation: “He dictates coverages, manipulates switches, and creates efficient offense out of possessions most stars can’t salvage.”

Efficiency, though, sits at the heart of Bleacher Report’s case for Gilgeous-Alexander. Its three-year profiles have the Thunder guard at 31.3 ppg on 64.5% true shooting, compared with 32.2 ppg on 60.9% true shooting for Dončić. The outlet wrote that what really sets the 2025 NBA Finals MVP apart is “how dominant he is from the mid-range and how adept he is at drawing shooting fouls.”

Gilgeous-Alexander shot 55.3% overall, 38.6% from 3, and 87.9% at the free-throw line last season en route to his second straight MVP.

A Bigger Stage Without LeBron James

The debate now shifts to the future. With James leaving for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, Dončić is the undisputed centerpiece in LA.

Bleacher Report highlighted the same opening. It noted that Dončić already has six seasons averaging 28-plus points at 27, a total topped only by Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Kevin Durant, and Wilt Chamberlain. The outlet projected that the number will only climb with James gone and Dončić fully in control of the offense.

The Slovenian megastar welcomed the change at Lakers media day on Sept. 28: “It’s like a new challenge. I like challenges.”

He also called the spotlight familiar ground: “I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me.”

One fan went a step further, predicting an even bigger Year 9 for Dončić: “Luka Dončić is winning the scoring title and MVP this coming season btw.”

Another kept their take simple: “It’s always been Luka.”

The Lakers open the regular season at home on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors. Dončić will have a chance to quickly prove his No. 2 ranking wrong, while Gilgeous-Alexander will look to build on the efficient scoring that earned him the top spot.