5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Let's not get it twisted; the Milwaukee Bucks did get off to a terrible start. Through the first 10 games of the season, the Bucks looked old, uninterested, and not talented enough to compete with the rest of the contenders in the Eastern Conference. However, over the last few weeks, the team has looked like it has awakened and shaken off their slow start to the season. As the Bucks have improved their play, it's only natural to hand some credit to Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the heart and soul of the team, the Bucks will only go as far as he can take them.
And through the first quarter-plus of the season, Giannis has quietly been exceptional. Giannis is averaging 33 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists on a career-high 62 percent shooting from the field. As much as the Bucks have struggled so far this season, it's hard to pin any of those issues on Giannis with the way he's played. If the Bucks continue to trend upward in the Eastern Conference standings, it's going to be hard to not give Giannis some NBA MVP love. Right now, he's starting to climb the rankings.
Why Giannis' MVP bid may fall short
Ultimately, it's hard to envision Giannis completely falling out of the race for NBA MVP. After all, he's probably the best or second-best (at worst) player in the league at this point. Generally speaking, those players are usually in the top 3 of NBA MVP voting year in and year out. As long as the Bucks finish as a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, Giannis is going to get some votes. But there may lie the key - if the Bucks don't finish as a top 3 seed in the East, this season will be considered a disappointment. And if this season is considered a disappointment, it's hard to envision Giannis getting MVP votes.
The Bucks are in an interesting position right now. They're beginning to play better but there are still many that have already discounted this team as a potential contender in the East this season. Even though it was a bit premature to do that, many have already assumed that the Bucks are going to falter, one way or another, this year. If the Bucks do manage to continue to play as well as they have over the last few weeks into the rest of the season, it's going to be hard to not give some MVP love to Giannis - especially with how underwhelming his supporting cast has appeared over the last couple of years.