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Where does Giannis Antetokounmpo rank in the MVP race?

With the Milwaukee Bucks in the thick of the playoff race, now is as good a time as any to take stock of Giannis Antetokounmpo's MVP candidacy.
Matthew Dugandzic|
Where does Giannis Antetokounmpo rank in the MVP race?
Where does Giannis Antetokounmpo rank in the MVP race?

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Although there's still plenty of basketball left to be played in the regular season, it's never too early to get the debate going about who should be the NBA's MVP this year. It's no surprise, though, that the two players often mentioned in this conversation are the winners of the last four MVP trophies—Denver's man-mountain Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee's "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo.

With less than 30 games remaining in the regular season, who has the upper hand in the race for this season's MVP award right now?

Mixed opinions

NBA.com's Kia MVP Ladder has Jokic at the top, while Giannis is at third, right behind Philadelphia's own powerhouse, Joel Embiid. According to Michael C. Wright, Jokic averaging a triple-double puts him head and shoulders over everyone.

"The triple-double machine is now averaging a triple-double this season, producing his league-leading 17th triple-double Thursday with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 16 assists in a 134-117 win Thursday against the Golden State Warriors," wrote Wright.

Meanwhile, Giannis continues to put up another historic performance after another. He scored 54 points against the Los Angeles Clippers last week, putting him in elite company with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players in franchise history to have at least three 50-point performances in a season.

“Man, I never thought I was going to score 50 in the NBA when I got drafted,” said Antetokounmpo.

Lifting the Bucks

Giannis and the Bucks haven't enjoyed a complete roster to date. Even though All-Star wingman Khris Middleton is back from a lengthy absence due to a sore knee, the Bucks are still missing Bobby Portis Jr. Point guard Jrue Holiday has also missed 11 games so far this season, which means Giannis has had to shoulder a larger burden for the Bucks to stay in contention for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, this should bolster Giannis' candidacy much as it did Jokic's last season.

"Much like Jokić last season, when he received all sorts of well-deserved credit for lifting Denver to a 48-34 mark without Jamal Murray and with Michael Porter Jr. playing just nine games, the Bucks’ two-time MVP is quietly thriving in a similar situation," Amick wrote.

The MVP race will no doubt heat up more as we enter the final stretch of the regular season, with Jokic and Giannis sure to be at the top. Right now, however, it looks like Jokic has the upper hand in terms of stats and team success. It's up to Giannis to prove why he deserves a third MVP trophy and enter the conversation as one of the most dominant players of the decade.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.