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.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are winning
The Bucks have been the best regular season team in the association over the past two years, which certainly helped Antetokounmpo earn his previous two MVP awards.
However, the Bucks started the season off without an identity, struggling mightily to find any consistency with their new roster. They looked vulnerable as the losses started adding up, and along with voter fatigue factoring in, the 26-year-old was an afterthought in the way too early MVP conversation.
Despite the slow start, Giannis and the Bucks have been able to rebound and get back into a dominant rhythm. Currently sitting at second place in the Eastern Conference with a 31-17 overall record, this team has largely been able to overcome their turbulent start to the year. Just 2.5 games back of the top spot, Milwaukee has a legitimate chance to reclaim the top seed by season’s end, especially if they continue playing as they have lately.
The Bucks have won 15 of their last 19 games by playing arguably their best basketball of the season. Winning matters significantly in the MVP race these days, and the Bucks will climb in the standings as they continue racking up more victories. If they can overthrow Philadelphia as the top seed in the Eastern Conference standings, Antetokounmpo’s case will be that much more impressive.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another fantastic season statistically
While health and team record will play a factor in the final MVP vote this season, individual play is certainly the biggest component in the race.
In that case, Antetokounmpo is once again having one of the best seasons of his career by averaging 28.8 points on a .565/.302/.687 slash line, 11.4 rebounds, and a career-high 6.2 assists per game. Those are undoubtedly MVP-caliber numbers from the Greek Freak, and he certainly deserves recognition for them as the recent voter fatigue has started to fade.
Despite winning MVP in each of the last two seasons, Antetokounmpo entered this season with a different mindset following the team’s second playoff flameout. This year has been all about staying in the moment and just having fun playing basketball as he described during his recent media availability, which comes courtesy of the Star Tribune’s Stephen Whyno:
"“When I’m gonna be taking my nap, going through my routine, going through film, taking my 20-minute walk every day, I’m gonna be in that moment,” he said. “I’ve done a better job this year just enjoying this moment and not letting my mind explore as much and start thinking about playoffs, outcome, championship, no championship because at the end of the day, this is a stressful job that we’re doing. You’re gonna stress yourself out.”"
It is safe to say that this new take on the game has been a success for Antetokounmpo, as he continues putting up fantastic numbers on a nightly basis. This joyous approach has potentially been the best thing for him after a pair of crushing playoff defeats. With all of that in the rearview, Giannis is taking things one step at a time, which continues producing results.
Take last night’s game against the Blazers for example as Giannis put on an MVP performance with a season-high with 47 points in the 127-109 win. He was virtually unstoppable as he continues working his way up the ladder down the stretch.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s third consecutive run at an MVP award this season will be a storyline worth watching for the remainder of the season, and time will tell if he can pull off the historical feat.