Hoops Habit
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid is early NBA MVP favorite

By Larry Mendte

Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 7
Next
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images /

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The star of the Milwaukee Bucks was the preseason favorite to win the MVP award and has lived up to the hype.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, known as the “Greek Freak,” is averaging 25.6 points per game, 11th best in the NBA. His rebounds per game average of 12.9  is fifth-best in the NBA, just above Embiid.

Milwaukee is 11-2, second in the East behind the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks’ red hot start helps the Greek Freak’s case for MVP.

On the NBA web site, there is a section called “The KIA MVP ladder.” This week the section features Antetokounmpo.

The NBA prognosticators seem to be firmly behind the Milwaukee Bucks’ power forward as an early MVP favorite.

The expectations of experts can sometimes be self-fulfilling. Embiid may need to compile statistics far better than Antetokounmpo’s to win the award. And, of course, it would help immensely if the 76ers pass the Bucks in the standings.