The NBA season returns today with a handful of games to kick the season off. Last season, the Milwaukee Bucks had the league’s best record of 58-24 and will host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Fiserv Forum on Thursday.
Milwaukee is one of the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals, and with the addition of superstar Damian Lillard, they will be confident in their abilities to repeat what they did in 2021.
The season may not have started yet, but we are looking ahead as to who on the Bucks roster could be competing for NBA awards and honors when the 2023-24 season is done. Here are five players that will be in contention for an accolade.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Most Valuable Player
Not much needs to be said here.
It has now been three years since Giannis last won the MVP award. In 2019 and 2020 he took the award home convincingly and has been a contender for the award since but may have been subjected to voter fatigue depending on who you ask.
Since then, Nikola Jokic has won back-to-back awards, and Joel Embiid took the award home last season. Following last season’s early exit to the Miami Heat when Giannis was injured, this is the perfect time for him to make those voters remember how good a player he is and why he is deserving of those two awards and is deserving of a third MVP.
Last season Giannis averaged a career-high 31.1 points on 55 percent shooting, along with 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and a block and a steal per game. Those are MVP-type numbers, and if he can put up similar numbers again, then he is, of course, in contention for the award.
Now, with Lillard on the roster, the pick-and-roll offense with them two will be a serious threat for the Bucks, and with the former Trail Blazer attracting so much attention, it may somehow allow Giannis to dominate even more than he already does.
Winning MVP is about being unstoppable and making memorable moments that can stand out and remind people why you deserve the award. There is no better time for Giannis to start his chase for his third MVP than Thursday, when he takes on last season’s MVP, Embiid.