3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2019 NBA MVP, was the cog that steered the Milwaukee Bucks to a league-leading 60 wins and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Giannis displayed his overall growth during the season both offensive and defensively.
“The Greek Freak” averaged 28 pts, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists for a Bucks squad that featured Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, and fellow All-Star Khris Middleton.
During the playoffs, Antetokounmpo proved to be every bit the superstar he is, averaging 25-12-4 during the 15-game stretch in the postseason. Despite stellar performances from Antetokounmpo and co., the Bucks were defeated in six games by the eventual NBA champions, the Raptors.
Now that Giannis has experienced a degree of playoff success, he is now ready to unleash the best he has to offer upon the rest of the league, with anything less than a trip to the Finals being unacceptable.
The motivation to win and show that last season was no fluke will propel Giannis to MVP contention once again during the 2019-20 season. The 3-time All-Star must develop a consistent jump shot, but if he does, his arsenal of offensive weapons will be even more vast than before.