Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has already accomplished a ton in his NBA career so far. As a 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA player, 2x MVP, and 1x NBA Champion, he has done more in 9 years in the league than most players could ever hope for.
But Giannis isn’t done yet, and (in fact) many experts believe he’ll b right back in the MVP conversation this upcoming season. In a recent ESPN panel, Giannis was picked as the favorite to win the award over Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry, and Kawhi Leonard.
Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is the reigning two-time MVP — could a third be on the way? A host of players, including fellow two-time winners Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry, will have something to say about that.
Jokic may have captured the past two MVP awards, but our panel doesn’t like his chances for a three-peat.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, has the inside track to win his third award but has some company near the top. Both Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid are right on his heels in the voting, and Curry comes in fourth with an outside chance to follow his 2022 Finals MVP with the third regular-season award of his Hall of Fame career.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: 43 points (33.3% first-place votes)
T-2. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: 40 points (22.2%)
T-2. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 40 points (33.3%)
4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: 14 points
T-5. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers: 6 points (5.6%)
T-5. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies: 6 points (5.6%)
T-7. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: 4 points
T-7. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: 4 points
9. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 points
T-10. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: 1 point
T-10. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers: 1 point
As long as he’s healthy, there’s no reason to believe Giannis won’t have another legendary season. Besides his tall frame and crazy wingspan, his strength and athleticism make him unstoppable when he’s driving to the rim. It also makes him the perfect defender against pretty much every position.
If Giannis can somehow also add a three-pointer to his arsenal, it would only make his game even more dangerous than it already is.
Either way, no matter how you look at it, Giannis and the Bucks will be right there competing with the best of them.
