Giannis Antetokounmpo: Ranking top-5 MVP contenders after one month
By Adam McGee
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Speaking of the King staying the King, the reigning MVP is offering up no evidence that he plans on giving up his crown this year, or really any time in the foreseeable future.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has demonstrated an incredible ability to continue improving from year to year throughout his NBA career to date, but after winning the MVP award last year, and now in his seventh season, logic would have suggested that was an unsustainable trend.
Through 12 games, Antetokounmpo continues right in line with that trend, though, tracking for career-highs in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, and field goal percentage, while also showing meaningful progress with his three-point shooting.
If that last element holds up, the game will change entirely and Antetokounmpo could find himself separating from the pack as the year goes on. He is, after all, the only contender in this category who was also a Defensive Player of the Year finalist last season, and his start this season suggests he could add that award to his collection this time around too.
With the Bucks holding a 9-3 record at present, they’re tracking right along with their 60-win season from last year, and will have a great opportunity to pull ahead of that pace in the games ahead.
If that does happen, particularly with Khris Middleton missing a month early on in the year, Antetokounmpo’s case will be even stronger than his current averages of 30.1 points, 14.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game already suggest.
One month into the season, Giannis going back-to-back seems to be comfortably the most likely outcome in this category, even with impressive competition ready to put up a fight.