Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t in the Top 3 in the MVP race, but looking at the stats, the Milwaukee Bucks star should definitely be in the conversation.
Antetokounmpo, while everyone is buzzing on who should win MVP between Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, silently put up a historic season never seen in the NBA before.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Insane Stat With Milwaukee Bucks
Antetokounmpo played in 73 games this 2023-24 season and finished with averages of 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steal and 1.1 block per game. He also shot a highly efficient 61.1 percent from the field, which is actually quite a historic feat.
According to The Lead, Antetokounmpo’s shooting percentage is actually the highest field goal percentage on a 30-point per game season in NBA history. It surpasses the mark set by by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970-71 when he shot 57.7 percent while averaging 31.7 points. KAJ also did it in 1971-72 when he put up 34.8 points on 57.4 percent shooting.
Other players who accomplished a similar feat were Adrian Dantley (1981-82) and Karl Malone (1989-90).
What’s interesting to note, however, is that in both seasons that Abdul-Jabbar averaged over 30 points on incredible efficiency, he won the MVP award.
With that being said, it’s definitely quite interesting that Antetokounmpo isn’t getting as much MVP love despite the incredible season he has had. Sure enough, no one can deny that the likes of Jokic, Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserve to be in the MVP talks. They have all powered their teams to 50-win seasons while putting up absurd numbers.
Nonetheless, the fact that no one has done what Antetokounmpo just accomplished in the long history of the NBA is certainly worthy of recognition.
It’s unlikely Giannis will win MVP. The odds are stacked against him anyway. But there’s no doubt that his incredible season won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Focused on NBA Playoffs
Despite not getting that much MVP love, Giannis Antetokounmpo likely won’t care. The team’s focus all season long has been to compete for a championship, and that won’t change as they now gear up for the NBA Playoffs.
Antetokounmpo’s health is a major concern for the team as he deals with a calf injury, so for now, his priority is getting to 100 percent health before their postseason journey begins.
The Bucks play the Indiana Pacers in the first round, and it surely won’t be easy considering that Indiana has beaten Milwaukee four times in their five meetings during the 2023-24 season.
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