The Bucks have been on a tear lately, going 25-5 over their last 30 games. The team has been clicking, and the players have even stood out. The Bucks could become the first team since the 2000-01 76ers to win MVP, COTY, DPOY, and 6MOTY. The Bucks could take it one step further and win the championship, along with winning all these awards, being the first team in the modern era to do so.
Most Valuable Player
It’s no surprise to anyone who watches basketball that Giannis Antetokuounmpo is in the top 5 in the MVP race for a fifth straight season. Giannis is having one of the best seasons of his 10-year career. He is averaging a career-high in points with 31.1. This is the first time he has averaged over 30 ppg.
He is also averaging 11.8 rebounds which is the most since his second MVP in the 2019-20 season. He is averaging 5.6 assists which is lower than last year, but he has been around 5.5 – 6 assists per game over the last five seasons. Not to mention he set a new career-high in points this season with 55. Giannis is 5th in the league in triple-doubles with five and 4th in the league in double-doubles with 45.
Currently, Giannis is +600 (according to BetMGM) to win his third MVP. He is consistently ranked third in odds of winning MVP. He does have some ground to make up, but if Giannis finishes these last four games with strong showings, there is a possibility he can get his third MVP.
Defensive Player of the Year
Having even one DPOY candidate on the roster is tough, but the Bucks are lucky enough to have two. Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both in the top 3 odds for DPOY.
Lopez is averaging a career-high in blocks with 2.5 blocks/ game to go along with a Bucks career-high 4.7 defensive rebounds. Lopez is among the best rim protectors in the league, allowing just 51.7% of shots within 6ft of the basket. This is 13.2% worse than shooters are expected to shoot within 6ft from the basket.
Lopez has contested 1724 shots, 300 more than the next closest defender. In fact, there is a bigger gap between Brook Lopez and No. 2 than there is between No. 2 and No. 17. Lopez is 2nd in DPOY odds at +115.
Lopez has been outstanding defensively this year, but so has Giannis. Giannis has consistently been one of, if not the best, defenders in the entire NBA. In fact, Giannis is the number 1 rim protector in the league this year. Opposing players only make 47.9% of their shots within 6ft of the rim when Giannis is guarding them. This is 16.9% lower than what is expected of opposing players. Giannis only allows opposing players to shoot 41.7% from the field overall.
Giannis is currently +5000 to win DPOY. DPOY is not as close a race as MVP, as it is most likely coming down to Jaren Jackson Jr and Brook Lopez. However, that doesn’t take away from the outstanding defense Giannis plays game-in and game-out.
Coach of the Year
Coach of the Year is probably the most unlikely award for a Bucks member to win. Coach Budenholzer is +800 to win, so it’s not impossible. That said, Michael Brown of the Sacramento Kings is -1600 to win. It is essentially his award to lose, as breaking the Kings’ 16-year playoff drought is no easy feat.
Even still, coach of the year has gone to the coach of the team with the best record. There is still a possibility, but as stated above, this will be the hardest award for the Bucks to win.
Sixth Man of the Year
He didn’t receive a single vote last year, much to the chagrin of Bucks fans. This year he is third in Sixth Man of the Year odds. Bobby Portis has been a staple in Milwaukee since he arrived. Bobby is +12000 to win the award. That seems awfully low, especially when you look at his competition.
Bobby Portis(+12000): 13.8 ppg, 1.5 APG, 9.5 RPG 50-35-82 splits 57 TS%
Malcolm Brogdon (+400): 14.7 ppg, 4.2 APG, 3.7 RPG 48-44-88 splits 61 TS%
Immanuel Quickley (-470): 14.3 ppg, 4.1 RPG, 3.3 APG 46-36-81 splits 57 TS%
When the stats are laid out like this, the odds should be much closer, especially as Bobby is averaging a near-double-double off the bench. To boost his stock even more, Bobby is tied for 9th in double-doubles with Lakers’ stud Anthony Davis. Brogdon has 0 double-doubles this season. Quickley has 4 double-doubles.
Even more, stats to increase Bobby’s stock is he is a better defender than both Brogdon (113 DRtg) and Quickley (115 DRtg) with a 110 defensive rating (DRtg). Bobby is allowing opponents to shoot 48.4% from the field, and Brogdon is allowing 49.2% from the field. However, Quickley does have the edge in opposing FG% allowed with 44.2%.
Bobby has similar, if not better, stats than both Quickley and Brogdon. He should be higher up on the Sixth Man of the Year odds.
Final Thoughts
The Bucks being a small-market team, don’t get as much media attention as some of the larger markets. Giannis being at the top of the league for so long also doesn’t help with voter fatigue. Lopez will be battling it out with Jaren Jackson Jr. until the end of the season for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Bobby continues to be disrespected. He should be the favorite to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. No other player in the league brings the hustle, fire, and stats to back it up off the bench.
For Coach Bud to win Coach of the Year, the Bucks likely need to win out and reach 60 wins on the season (which would be the second time under Budenholzer). They started strong with a big win against the 76ers on Sunday. The games against the Wizards, Bulls, and Raptors should favor the Bucks, but their game against the 2-seeded Grizzlies will be challenging.
For More Great Content:
Don’t forget to follow me @LouisNapolitano and @WiSportsHeroics on Twitter for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest Wisconsin sports news, click here! Don’t forget to check out our merch store!
