Winner: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis was a statistical beast last season for the Milwaukee Bucks, putting up an absurd 27/10/5/1.5/1.5 stat line while shooting 53% from the floor. His 11.9 win shares were good for 6th overall as well. The Greek Freak has gotten better every year he has been in the league and at only 23 years of age don’t expect that to change next season.
The addition of Brook Lopez may not help boost their 16th ranked defense but he should certainly help their offense take another step. During Giannis’ tenure, the Bucks have never had a center who can space the floor. Lopez has knocked down a respectable 34% over the last two seasons with lackluster Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers squads.
Having four players who can stretch the floor around him should give Antetokounmpo plenty of room to operate while likely seeing his assists numbers raise with an offensive minded center he can hit downtown or under the basket on the drive.
Having Lopez spending so much time away from the hoop has caused his rebounding totals to drop significantly, but his loss could be Giannis’ gain as the Greek Freak may spend the most time around the basket of any Buck this year. He could easily build on his double-digit rebounding total.
Even if Antetokounmpo eclipses last seasons individual numbers, his MVP case may ultimately rest on the success of the Bucks team. With Lebron James now in the Western Conference Milwaukee will be fighting with the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and Philadelphia 76ers for top seeding in the East. Antetokounmpo’s all-around stat line leading a top seed into the playoffs should be enough to snag the MVP.