Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James’ current standing in the MVP race

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The “Greet Freak” blitzed out of the offseason and was the early frontrunner for MVP. He’s fallen off a bit since. Still, he’s second in the league in scoring with 29.8 points per game and is third in the league in Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) and Player Efficiency Rating (PER).

However, he trails LeBron in both of those categories, as well as his team record in the standings. When it comes to the MVP debate, Antetokounmpo is aided by his style of play. He’s incredibly flashy, a nearly unstoppable force with a head of steam. Take a look at this play. Giannis crosses over the defender and within two gallops, he’s glided from the 3-point line to the rim.

It seems like writers have a thing for playing style. One of the game’s more aesthetically pleasing players, Steve Nash, snagged two MVPs when others may have been more deserving. You could maybe make the same argument for Derrick Rose in 2010-11 and Stephen Curry in his first MVP season. Each player edged out opponents with similar numbers possibly, in part, because they had that “it” factor; a unique, sexy playing style.

The sexy pick right now is Antetokounmpo. The last time we saw a player with that length and physical advantage might have been Wilt Chamberlain. In today’s 3-point heavy game, Antetokounmpo is a rare superstar that lives below the arc. He’s unique and fun.

But based on the numbers alone, LeBron deserves the honor over the young Greek Freak so far. Antetokounmpo’s year will come, but for now, he’s the prince of the NBA’s Central Division.