Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3 reasons he deserves MVP consideration

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s case for a third consecutive MVP award was going to be an uphill battle before he even stepped on the court this season.

Voter fatigue had certainly clouded his case following two devastating postseason failures in each of the last two seasons he had won the award. It did not help that the Greek Freak also started the season off unable to build any momentum, which translated to an equally slow start for the Milwaukee Bucks.

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However, as many predicted would eventually happen, Antetokounmpo has since found his groove as the year has gone on. Getting back up to speed means that his chances of notching that third straight MVP have increased significantly along the way.

In fact, according to NBA.com’s recently updated MVP ladder, Giannis is currently sitting at fourth place in the race for the award this season after being left out of the conversation early on.

If Antetokounmpo’s season continues trending in this direction, he could undoubtedly join Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird as the only three players in league history to win the award three consecutive times.

The current MVP race has been wide open this season, and it should be a thrilling down to the wire finish with the regular season slowly coming to a conclusion. With that, here are three reasons why voter fatigue should not cloud Giannis Antetokounmpo’s case for taking home the trophy for the third year in a row.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been healthy for the Milwaukee Bucks this season

Up until recently, this year’s MVP race was shaping up to be among the most exciting in recent memory because of the widespread amount of players making a case. Unfortunately, injuries have shuffled the deck by sidelining some of the most prominent names that were near the top of the ladder.

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who was arguably the frontrunner throughout the first portion of the season, has been sidelined since March 12 with a knee injury. Right behind him was last year’s runner-up LeBron James, who is out of the lineup somewhere between three to five weeks following a nasty high ankle sprain suffered earlier last month.

While there could still be a case in some regard for those two waiting to be made by the time they return, how much time they missed undoubtedly factors into the end vote. Hopefully, those guys will be able to come back and jump back to the race, but the voters have certainly shifted their focus to those that are currently on the floor.

That includes Antetokounmpo, who has appeared in 45 out of 48 games for the Bucks this season, thankfully staying healthy. His availability has largely been a reason he has moved up in the recent MVP rankings, and if he continues to hit the court with consistency, his chances will only increase.