Have a moment on the national stage
Let’s remember who is voting for the MVP award, national NBA media members. Not every member is going to watch every game the Bucks play. In fact, most won’t watch more than a few!
Such is the nature of playing in a small market like Milwaukee on a team that has been aggressively average the past couple seasons. But, the Bucks this season have 18 nationally televised games on their schedule.
That offers Giannis plenty of opportunities to make an impression on the national NBA media, which he’s going to need to do to take home the award. Members obviously don’t vote on MVP based on one play or one game, but each MVP winner always has a moment.
By moment, I mean a play or performance that just makes people go, “wow, that guy is the MVP”. Westbrook had his ridiculous game-winner against the Nuggets in late April that all but sealed the award in his favor.
Harden crossed Wesley Johnson so hard that they actually had the entire MVP trophy presentation before Johnson could get back up. LeBron has too many moments to count. Same with Curry.
Giannis had a moment last season when he jumped all the way over Tim Hardaway Jr. at Madison Square Garden. It was the dunk of the year and he’s going to need another moment like that this season.
These little moments and plays aren’t the most important thing, but they do matter. When voters go to fill out their ballot, they’re going to think of the players that made remarkable plays on the biggest stage.
Giannis is going to need to have a moment, one that’s going to be replayed a million times over the season and sear Giannis’ dominance into the MVP voters’ brains.