Bucks Zone

How Giannis Antetokounmpo can win a third MVP award

Giannis can possibly come away with his third MVP award this season.

Jonas Panerio

© Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

It may be hard to believe, but Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has flown under the radar this season regarding conversations involving the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. While most of the attention has been on the MVP frontrunners Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic, Giannis has quietly been putting up another MVP-caliber season.

Still in it

After winning back-to-back MVP awards in 2019 and 2020, Giannis' name is not as prominent in this year's discussions. However, the "Greek Freak" has put up incredible numbers this season to help buoy the Bucks near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, averaging 30.8 points on 61 percent shooting, 11.3 rebounds, and a career-high 6.4 assists per game.

"While the Bucks have made a lot of headlines for the wrong reasons this season, the one consistent has been the awesome play of Antetokounmpo. Even adding Damian Lillard hasn't affected the 29-year-old's workload, as only Luka Dončić has a higher usage rate than Antetokounmpo this season. No player outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led to as many wins for their team as well," Greg Swartz wrote in Bleacher Report.

"Antetokounmpo's raw numbers will be good enough to win, especially with a career-high 6.4 assists and an effective field-goal percentage of 62.7 percent, the highest among the top eight MVP candidates."

How to solidify Giannis' chances of winning MVP

Giannis' chances of winning the MVP trophy will hinge on how the Bucks eventually do in the regular season. Milwaukee has a 37-21 record, good for third in the East behind the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. If they could move up and dislodge the Cavs from no. 2, Antetokounmpo's odds would be boosted.

"For Antetokounmpo to win a third MVP, the Bucks simply have to figure things out. This is a narrative that could work in his favor. The coaching circus that's plagued Milwaukee over the last nine months could be seen as a major obstacle that Antetokounmpo can overcome, something none of the other candidates have had to go through," Swartz added.

Giannis Antetokounmpo explains the differences between Doc Rivers and former coach Adrian Griffin

Published
Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO