Milwaukee Bucks: What Giannis Antetokounmpo must do to win MVP

Giannis Antetokounmpo has emerged as a popular pick to win the Most Valuable Player award this season. Here’s what he’ll need to do to take home the award.

Last season, Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed to be the front-runner for the NBA MVP award after the first handful of games. Antetokounmpo was putting up ridiculous stat lines that included 40+ points, and the Bucks were beating teams like the Boston Celtics on the road.

Of course, things didn’t pan out for the Bucks or Giannis in that season overall. The Greek Freak still had the most productive season of his career, but the Bucks as a team fizzled out and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs after just a 44-win season.

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Now, going into the 2018-19 season with a new coach and some new role players (along with some juicy summer workout photos) Giannis and the Bucks are entering the season with raised expectations. LeBron James has left the Eastern Conference and many are picking Giannis as the heir apparent to the King’s throne.

Writers and media members from the Washington Post to Sports Illustrated to CBS Sports are predicting that this year will see Antetokounmpo climb the NBA’s hierarchy to claim the MVP award.

But, what exactly will it take for Giannis to claim the NBA’s most prestigious individual award? Looking back on past winners, we can surmise that there are five things Giannis must do in order to be the first Bucks player to be the NBA MVP since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

So, without further ado, let’s examine the criteria.