What Giannis Antetokounmpo Must Do To Win MVP With Miami Heat

Giannis Antetokounmpo is fifth in ESPN's preseason MVP voting, and I'll be honest, I think people might be overlooking just how good his situation in Miami could be.

Victor Wembanyama was the runaway favorite in ESPN's poll with 102 points. Nikola Jokic came in second with 31, followed by Luka Doncic with 28 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 26. Giannis finished fifth with just 8 points.

To be fair, at this point and in this moment, I would be happy if Giannis finished fifth in MVP voting. Wembanyama is a phenom and we know he is going to put up some incredible numbers if he stays healthy, the same goes for everyone else on the list.

If Giannis can stay healthy and avoid any calf issues, I expect him to put up amazing numbers as well, and even if his path to winning MVP is low, I still think he has a chance.

It Starts With Winning

We already know Giannis is going to put up numbers. If he averages 29 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, is anybody really going to be surprised? Giannis can put up these numbers in his sleep; he just has to be available.

That's almost the problem for Giannis when it comes to winning another MVP. He's been so dominant for so long that we've gotten used to it.

What could change the conversation is Miami winning more than people expect. ESPN predicts that the Heat will be a Play-In team next season as the 7th seed, and I think that’s a stretch.

There have been questions about the backcourt, the depth, and whether Miami will really be one of the top teams in the East.

If Giannis comes to Miami and immediately leads the Heat to 50-plus wins and a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference, now we have a completely different MVP conversation.

What if Miami somehow finishes first in the East? Good luck leaving him out of the top two or three then. The Heat finished as the 10th seed last year and missed the playoffs. It will be hard to ignore Giannis' impact if the Heat are a top-two seed in a deeper Eastern Conference.

He Doesn't Need To Put Up 35 A Night

I actually don't think Giannis needs some insane statistical season to win it.

Give me something around 30 points, 11 or 12 rebounds, and six assists while playing 65-plus games, and that's more than enough from an individual standpoint.

Especially if Miami is winning and is a top seed in the East.

The other part of this that shouldn't get lost is defense. Giannis is now playing next to Bam Adebayo. Think about that for a second.

Those two should make life miserable for opposing teams. If Miami ends up with one of the NBA's best defenses and Giannis is still putting up 30 a night on the other end, that has to matter.

There aren't many MVP candidates who can impact a game in as many different ways as Giannis.

The Narrative Could Flip Quickly

This is where I think Giannis has a better MVP opportunity than people realize.

He's in a new city. He's playing for a new organization. Miami gave up a massive package to get him, and there are already people questioning whether the Heat have enough around him. That's actually perfect for an MVP case.

That's the kind of story voters notice: he was doubted and they said that the Heat aren’t good enough.

It can't just be Giannis joining a decent Heat team and putting up his normal numbers. He needs to make Miami look like a legitimate championship contender immediately.

I Wouldn't Count Him Out

Would I have Giannis first on my MVP ballot entering the season? No.

We've seen this guy win two MVP awards already. He's still one of the most dominant players in basketball, and now he gets to play next to Bam while being coached by Erik Spoelstra. Even with that, it will be an uphill battle for him to actually win the award. Even though I think it's unlikely there is always a chance.

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