Where Does Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Land in Current MVP Rankings?

Jeremy Hanna | Nov 17, 2024

Nov 13, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates after scoring during overtime against the Detroit Pistons at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Despite being on a winning streak, the Milwaukee Bucks are having a rough season that is falling far short of their previous standards of excellence.

However, there is one definitive bright spot: star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak has been a star in Milwaukee for years now, and his accolades more than prove his worth: NBA champion (2021), NBA Finals MVP (2021), a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (2019, 2020), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2020), an eight-time NBA All-Star (2017-2024), and he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

This level of excellence has continued in the 2024 NBA season, where he is leading the league with 33.3 points per game. He is also averaging 12.1 total rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game over 11 games.

This obviously is keeping Antetokounmpo in the NBA MVP conversation, but it may not be as high as Bucks fans would expect.

Currently, Antetokounmpo is ranked seventh on NBA.com's Kia MVP Ladder, beating out Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Top 10.

Additionally, Fox Sports has Antetokounmpo ranked seventh as well, giving him +2500 odds to win the award.

In both rankings, the player at the top is Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who took home MVP honors in three of the last four years (2021, 2022, 2024).

This season, Jokic is averaging 29.7 points per game and leading the league with 13.7 total rebounds and 11.7 assists per game.

Antetokounmpo is also being beaten out on both lists by Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Anthony Davis of the Lakers.

Needless to say, it's a crowded race this year for the highest individual honor the NBA has to offer. So what is it that is keeping Antetokounmpo out of the top five?

Unfortunately, it's the fact that he's on the Bucks.

Every other player mentioned on this list belongs to a team with a winning record: the Nuggets are 7-4, the Celtics are 10-3, the Thunder are 11-2, and the Lakers are 8-4.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee is sitting at a paltry 4-9, putting them in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. If the playoffs were held today, the Bucks wouldn't even qualify for the Play-In Tournament.

I the history of the NBA, only one player has won MVP without making it to the playoffs: the Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1975-76 season, who finished with a 21-25 record.

Basically, if Antetokounmpo wants another shot at MVP, the Bucks need to become a winning team. And at this point, it doesn't look like that is going to happen.

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