Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTIncluded Columnist IVMarch 2, 2024
Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire through Getty Images
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers thinks Giannis Antetokounmpo is the victim of citizen tiredness when it pertains to choosing the MVP award.
“I do not even wish to enter into it, however there's been guys that you get tired of electing,” Rivers informed press reporters Friday. “Michael [Jordan] might be the poster kid of that. And Giannis appears to be because classification; where you're so great, whatever you do is considered given. When you simply take a look at his numbers, they're unbelievable, and yet, you never ever hear his name. It's amazing, however that's an indication of regard more than disrespect in some methods.”
There's most likely an argument to be made that Jordan must have won the MVP in every year of his prime with the Chicago Bulls, though it's likewise worth keeping in mind that he won the award 5 times, connected with Bill Russell for the 2nd most all-time behind just Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6).
When it comes to whether Antetokounmpo's name is hardly ever heard in the MVP conversation, that's quite arguable. He presently sits 3rd on the NBA.com MVP ladder behind Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was a back-to-back winner in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons and ended up third in the voting the previous 2 seasons.
Considering that he initially won the award in 2018-19, the MVP discussion has actually mostly been controlled by Antetokounmpo, Jokić and Joel Embiid, with all 3 making exceptionally strong cases. This year feels about as large open as its remained in a long time, with gamers like Jayson Tatum and Luka Dončić likewise in the running. And if Embiid wasn't injure and qualified to strike the needed video games required to certify for the award, he ‘d definitely be in the discussion.
Here's a fundamental résumé of the leading 5 MVP competitors:
- Jokić: 25.8 PPG (14th), 12.3 RPG (4th), 9.3 APG (4th), 31.42 gamer performance ranking (2nd), Denver Nuggets are 3rd in the West (41-19).
- Gilgeous-Alexander: 31.2 PPG (2nd), 6.5 APG (14th), 30.71 PER (3rd), Oklahoma City Thunder are 2nd in the West (41-18).
- Antetokounmpo: 30.8 PPG (3rd), 11.3 RPG (6th), 6.3 APG (connected 16th), 30.22 PER (4th), Bucks are 3rd in the East (40-21).
- Tatum: 27.1 PPG (ninth), 8.5 RPG (connected 23rd), 4.8 APG (connected 45th), 22.43 PER (18th), Boston Celtics have an NBA-best 47-12 record.
- Dončić: 34.5 PPG (very first), 8.9 RPG (19th), 9.7 APG (3rd), 28.98 PER (5th), Dallas Mavericks are 8th in the West (34-26).
Exists one gamer because group who plainly stands above the rest? Those are all really strong cases, for differing factors.
Giannis will be among the primary competitors presuming he preserves his existing level of play. If he does not win, it will likely come down to a field of exceptionally deserving prospects more than citizen tiredness.
