3 reasons why Giannis Antetokounmpo is having the greatest NBA season
The Milwaukee Bucks are back in the headlines for all the right reasons, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's start to the 2024-25 campaign is a big reason why. The Bucks forward is in the midst of one of the greatest NBA seasons we've seen in years, playing with a spirit and intensity that has propelled him to the top of the MVP ladder.
NBA fans have become numb to Antetokounmpo's extraordinary numbers year after year, but this season feels different. Even by his standards, Antetokounmpo's production has been phenomenal. The eight-time All-Star is recording career highs in points and field goal percentage. He leads the league in points per game while also ranking fifth in rebounds per game and being tied for ninth in blocks per game.
After finishing third, third and fourth in the MVP voting over the last three seasons, the Bucks star seems to be on a mission to capture his third MVP crown. Antetokounmpo was named the MVP in 2019 and 2020, and is one of the early favorites to lock up the prestigious award once again. He would become just the 10th player in NBA history to win the honor on three different occasions, a significant feat considering he is only 30 years old.
Milwaukee's offense is thriving and the Bucks have been able to turn things around after a difficult start to the season. Milwaukee managed just one win from its first seven games, but a series of big performances from Antetokounmpo sparked an 11-3 run over the last month and has the Bucks back in the playoff mix.
Here are three reasons why no other NBA player is having as good a season as Antetokounmpo.
3 reasons why Giannis Antetokounmpo is having an all-time great season
#1. Points, points and more points
Antetokounmpo currently leads the NBA with 32.7 ppg. No player has made more field goals and only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who has played two more games than Antetokounmpo this season) has more total points this season.
Scrolling through Antetokounmpo's stat lines, several performances stand out over his first 23 games. The one that truly jumps off the page is his 59-point display against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 13. He shot 21-of-34 from the field and converted 16 of his 17 free throws. Overall, he record 46.5 percent of his team's points that night.
Antetokounmpo has hit the 40-point mark on four different occasions and has scored more than 35 points eight times.
This season, Antetokounmpo has been more efficient. If the season were to end today, his 61.4% from the field would be a career-best. Among all NBA players to have attempted at least 250 shots this season, only Domantas Sabonis has a better field goal percentage.
#2. Dominating on defense
It's more difficult to measure the impact Antetokounmpo has had on the defensive front. At 6-11, Antetokounmpo is an imposing figure in the paint, and is proving once again that he is one of the league's elite defenders.
Antetokounmpo currently ranks fifth in the NBA in total rebounds (11.5) and third in defensive rebounds (9.5). He is tied for ninth in blocks per game with Dereck Lively and Goga Bitadze.
Antetokounmpo was voted the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and has been named to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team four times. If he continues to dominate the way he has on the defensive side of the ball, the Bucks superstar is a shoo-in for another first-team selection.
#3. NBA Cup run
Antetokounmpo will always be remembered in the state of Wisconsin for leading the Bucks to a championship in 2021, ending a 50-year drought. Three years after winning his first championship with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo has the chance to lead the organization to its first-ever NBA Cup title.
After a sluggish start to the year, few would have expected the Bucks to be one of the last teams standing in the second edition of the Emirates NBA Cup. Yet after a string of six consecutive wins in the competition, Milwaukee is just one win away from taking home the coveted trophy.
Antetokounmpo has been outstanding throughout the tournament. His 37-point performance in a 114-109 victory over the Orlando Magic helped the Bucks stave off elimination in the quarterfinal stage. He followed that up with a game-high 32 points in the semifinal against the Atlanta Hawks.
If the Bucks can overcome the OKC Thunder Tuesday, Antetokounmpo will have another achievement to add to his already long list of accolades.