Right after the Bucks beat the Pacers this weekend, the press was all over Giannis Antetokounmpo’s performance, and some might even suggested he was worthy of being considered this year’s MVP contender after the massive victory in front of the Wisconsin fans.
You could certainly understand the hype after witnessing the forward star’s display, as he dropped in 34 points, earned 10 rebounds, handed out seven assists, produced one steal, and had three blocks on his state line. Last night, Milwaukee lost against OKC, but Giannis posted another triple-double show.
His coach Doc Rivers was asked about Antetokounmpo playing at an MVP-level this campaign, and he recognized all the attention. “It’s funny, I was talking to one of the better coaches in the league and he brought it up,” the tacticians shared this weekend. “He said, ‘How the hell is no one talking about Giannis?’”
Even though the Greek’s performances have positioned the Bucks for a top spot in the Eastern Conference, Rivers isn’t convinced Giannis is up for MVP. For the year, Antetokounmpo has been averaging 30.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per match.
He then added: “And he’s like, ‘He is doing different stuff. His assists keep going up. I mean, I don’t know what the guy has to do.’ But I’m not going to campaign. I’m not going to do that, but he is a forgotten guy with what he’s doing for our basketball team.”
Even though Doc did praise the 30-year-old, it certainly felt weird that the veteran coach didn’t believe his player was worthy of the MVP accolade, an award that Giannis has already earned twice before in his career during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
Antetokounmpo’s presence alone is one of the main reasons why Milwaukee is feared around the NBA, and simply having him on the roster is reason enough to consider the Bucks’ contenders for the title.