"Antetokounmpo is in the middle of another MVP-caliber season, and sometimes, it just needs to be appreciated" - Eric Nehm on the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo as he hits a hot run
Eric Nehm praised Milwaukee Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo’s greatness in an article in The Athletic on Thursday.
Nehm wrote:
“Antetokounmpo is in the middle of another MVP-caliber season, and sometimes, it just needs to be appreciated.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo in the middle of another MVP season
According to last week's NBA “Kia MVP Ladder,” Milwaukee Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo is in third place on the MVP ladder.
The Athletic's Eric Nehm wrote that the star's greatness should be appreciated. Antetokounmpo was the MVP for two straight seasons (2018-19 and 2019-2020). He then earned an NBA Finals MVP award after leading Milwaukee to last season's championship.
The Finals MVP award came well-deserved after Giannis solidified the championship in Game 6 with a 50-point performance. The Bucks beat the Suns 105-98 for Milwaukee's second championship (and first in 50 years).
During the finals, Giannis averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. He shot 61.8%. Needless to say, the man was on a mission.
The Bucks (42-25) are second in the Eastern Conference this season. If Giannis were to secure the MVP award this season, it would mark his fourth consecutive season getting an NBA award (regular or finals). The greatness of that alone should be appreciated.
This season, Giannis is averaging 29.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Milwaukee’s spot is mostly due to his absolutely dominating performances lately.
As Nehm outlined in his article, Antetokounmpo scored 82 points in a 24-hour span. Nehm explained “that ain’t normal, bro.” LeBron James, who is, of course, much older than Giannis, had a 56-point performance Saturday against the Warriors and then rested the next game. For Giannis to dominate like he does with such consistency is something else.
The two people ahead of Antetokounmpo on the MVP ladder are embiid" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers in second and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets in first.
Embiid is averaging 29.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. His 76ers (40-24) are third in the East.
Jokic is averaging 26.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. His Nuggets (40-26) are sixth in the Western Conference.
Antetokounmpo's next game is Saturday at 8:30pm (EST) against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Golden State is third in the West and will be coming off a game against Jokic and the Nuggets on Thursday.
If Giannis can keep up his pace, Curry and the Warriors may be in trouble as Antetokounmpo looks to take home another MVP trophy.