Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most dominant players in the NBA today. As a matter of fact, more than a few Milwaukee Bucks fans would be willing to go out on a limb to say that the former back-to-back MVP is currently the top player in the game.
Unfortunately for Milwaukee, this did not seem like the case last season — especially in the playoffs. To be fair, Antetokouonmpo did suffer an injury early in their first-round series against the Miami Heat, but at the end of the day, the fact of the matter is that Giannis and Co. failed to get out of the first round.
Nikola Jokic, on the other hand, carried the Denver Nuggets all the way to an NBA championship. If you look at it from this perspective, along with how Jokic was virtually an unstoppable force throughout the postseason, it’s hard to deny that the Serbian is currently at the top of the NBA’s food chain.
Numbers Talk For Giannis Antetokounmpo
One particular stat from the previously concluded season, however, shows how Giannis continues to hold a significant advantage over Jokic, as well as reigning league MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic:
Most PTS + REB + AST Per Minute 2022-23:
1.51 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
1.37 — Nikola Jokic
1.37 — Joel Embiid
1.35 — Luka DoncicThoughts on this stat/list? pic.twitter.com/u2HvSgvQm3
— Hoop Muse (@HoopMuse) July 2, 2023
Looking at this stat alone, it is clear that Giannis brings more to the table for the Bucks as opposed to the three other superstars on this list. It’s true that so much more goes into determining how truly valuable a player is to his team — a lot of it cannot be measured by stats — but at the same time, this per-minute analysis speaks volumes of how much of a menace Antetokounmpo is whenever he’s on the basketball court. Jokic, Embiid, and Doncic are some of the best in the business in terms of their stat-stuffing prowess, but the Milwaukee talisman is able to beat them out in this particular comparison.
Giannis And Co. Will Be Back With A Vengeance in 2023-24
At the end of the day, numbers are just numbers. What matters the most is the final score. Even Giannis himself will attest to this. Personal accolades are all well and good — including back-to-back Most Valuable titles — but in the end, it’s the Larry O’Brien trophy that holds the most weight.
The Bucks have done a magnificent job of keeping their key players this summer with the objective of competing for a title again this coming season. It’s going to be a tough road ahead, no doubt, but with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the charge, it would be foolish to count out Milwaukee at this point.
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