No. 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
As one of the more dominant and overpowering forces the NBA has ever seen, Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to compete for this prestigious award year in and year out. As he continues to develop into a more complete player, it’s scary how much better his game has gotten.
Antetokounmpo became the first player since Moses Malone to record consecutive games with 40-plus and 20-plus rebounds. He also became the first player to have consecutive games with at least 40 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists since Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. It’s not often that we get to see a 6-foot-11 forward who can defend every position, handle the ball like a guard and at the same time create for his teammates.
There has been no timetable set for Antetokounmpo to return after he suffered a wrist injury right before the all-star break. An extended absence would be the only thing that would eliminate him from the MVP race but it’s unlikely an injury like that will be able to keep him out for long.
Antetokounmpo is fast, athletic, and agile and you can’t deny his ability to finish above the rim. The way he plays could be described as artistic as players with his particular skill set are very rare. He is truly a gem of a player and the Bucks should be grateful to have him.
All he has done is put his team in a position to earn a top seed, he leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists is an awesome shot blocker, and is basically unguardable.