A few days ago, The NBADunkCentral X page revealed the current rankings in the 2024 NBA MVP race. It goes as follows: Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum. Regarding the Milwaukee Bucks power forward, why is he ranked third in the race so far?
Can The Milwaukee Bucks Legend Secure A 3rd NBA MVP Award?
This might be the tightest NBA MVP race we’ve seen in recent years. Giannis is currently averaging 30.8 PTS, 11.2 REB, and a career-high 6.4 AST. The Milwaukee Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference. They are fighting to maintain the 2nd seed against a hot Cleveland Cavaliers squad.
Let’s look at the two players ahead of him: Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are second in the Western Conference with the same record as Shai and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jokic is putting up nearly a triple-double with 26 PTS, 12 REB, and 9.1 AST this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up 30.9 PTS, 5.7 REB, and 6.7 AST. The Joker is seeking his third MVP, while Shai is aiming to seize his first MVP award.
The Joker and Shai are on 47-win teams, as the Bucks have 43 wins. However, the Celtics are the only team to have over 50 wins this season with 52 wins. Celtics Power Forward Jayson Tatum is putting up solid numbers with 27 PTS, 8.4 REB, and 4.9 AST. Yet, compared to the other competition in this race, those numbers might be the weakest out of the five.
Luka is averaging nearly a triple-double with 34.3 PTS, 9 REB, and 9.8 AST this season. His team, The Mavericks, are currently 8th in the Western Conference.
What Can Make The Greek Freak A 3x NBA MVP Winner This Season?
2019-07-14 Giannis
The league is very offensive-centric. What I think can help The Greek Freak’s case for securing his 3rd MVP is his defense. The Greek Freak is averaging a steal and a block right now. Shai might have him beat on defense, as he’s averaging two steals and almost a block per game.
Since the league is very offensive-centric, it can come down to field-goal percentage. Antetokounmpo is the worst 3-point shooter among the five players. However, he has the best shooting percentage, with an impressive 61.6 percent from the field. He does have that to help his case for a 3rd MVP award even more. The Bucks need to win more games than the Nuggets and the Thunder to help The Greek Freak win his 3rd MVP.
Usually, a team’s success factors into who wins the MVP. The only time that didn’t really matter was Russell Westbrook’s 2016-2017 MVP season, during which he averaged a triple-double. The Thunder finished as the sixth seed in the Western Conference that year. That might favor Luka winning his first MVP award, but hopefully, it’ll go to the Greek Freak to further solidify his mark as an NBA legend.
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