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Giannis Antetokounmpo should win league MVP for the third straight time

By Thomas J. Brown

Mar 31, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Marc Gasol (14) in the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Marc Gasol (14) in the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Giannis Antetokounmpo Mandatory Credit: Nick Monroe/Handout Photo-USA TODAY Sports /

Comparing Giannis Antetkounmpo’s season to Steph Curry

Steph Curry deserves a round of applause from the basketball community for coming back from a season-ending hand injury a year ago. Not only is he back, but he’s also leading the league in scoring and filling up the nightly highlight reels. No matter how it’s accomplished 31.9 points per game is significant. When the fact that the Golden State Warriors’ injuries have allowed teams to zero in on him is taken into account, his numbers are even more impressive.

However, the Most Valuable Player award cannot simply be handed over to the guy leading the league in scoring. If the regular season ended today, the Warriors would be in eighth place and staring down the barrel of a play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Two losses in the play-in tournament would mean the Warriors would be eliminated from the playoffs altogether. Curry’s inability to secure one of the top six seeds in the West must be factored into any MVP argument he’s thrown into.

The Milwaukee Bucks, on the other hand, are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference and will have home-court advantage in the first round. While the Philadelphia 76ers benefited from the hire of head coach Doc Rivers and the Brooklyn Nets acquired three perennial All-Stars, the Bucks remain primarily unchanged. Sure the trade that sent Eric Bledsoe to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Jrue Holiday was big, but the remainder of last season’s core is still intact.

Antetokounmpo has lifted his team to home-court advantage in a conference that is drastically improved over last season while Curry’s team may miss the playoffs entirely. Advantage Giannis.

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