Another day, another masterclass by Giannis Antetokounmpo. And he never gets tired. The way he balanced offense and defense so effortlessly despite Damian Lillard’s absence on Saturday to dethrone the Kings from their own arena deserved a massive shout-out. That did come. But only from one person. Doc Rivers, as always. Once again, the reality check came crashing in. The head coach didn’t hold back from pointing out the big flaw and calling out the big names for being biased toward Giannis. ‘What more does he need to do?’ echoed HC alongside the Greek Freak’s fans.
The regular season is wrapping up soon. So naturally, the discussions around the individual title races are heating up. Sitting second in the points-per-game stat, the MVP title is one Giannis is aiming to collect for the third time. But it’s looking like Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the top contenders this season again. They’re getting plenty of attention in the league, with their rankings reflecting that, especially with the OKC guard leading the standings. But for Rivers, this isn’t sitting well that his boy is not among the discussion.
After the Greek Freak’s 32-point, 17-rebound performance last night, Rivers, upset, told the media in the press conference, “I always say… ‘Is anyone noticing?’ Because you never hear his name, you don’t, I mean, he just keeps getting these numbers and you just never hear MVP. You never hear Giannis’s name.”
Rivers has been quite vocal about how Giannis’ performances are often overshadowed by the praise others receive. Despite his consistent efforts to rack up insane numbers, Giannis’ name rarely gets mentioned in MVP discussions. This shows the lack of recognition the 30-year-old gets in the league. Probable reasons for the miss-out? His team not sitting on top of the seed? Only critics can answer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been phenomenal all season long. His averages of 30.2 points, 12 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks are clear proof of the consistent dominance he showcases on the court. So, the 63-year-old feels that Giannis’ numbers are being overlooked despite the effort he’s putting in. Then what exactly is blocking him from being the favorite?
Doc Rivers makes bold statement about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP contention
Doc Rivers has always rooted for Giannis, including his chances for the MVP title. But this time, he confirmed that he wouldn’t be campaigning for him. The reason was simple. The coach believes the voters have grown tired of Giannis. What he meant was that the 99 pundits, broadcasters, and writers who vote for the MVP title are tired of picking the same player every year emphasizing the 9x All-Star’s elite form.
Rivers didn’t hesitate to call out, “Like it’s voter fatigue, I guess, I don’t know what it is, but he’s just, he’s Groundhog—I mean, he does it every night, and I guess that’s boring, not for me.” He compared Giannis’ excellence to Groundhog Day, which has been taken for granted. But only he knows what it took Giannis to be so consistent. The 30-year-old star is doing whatever he can to carry his team to the playoffs, and not seeing the efforts getting recognized is painful for the Bucks HC, and rightly so.
The Bucks’ standings also play a role in this scenario. There’s no doubt about Giannis’ brilliance, but the team has been more inconsistent this season compared to the Thunder and Nuggets. The Bucks are currently in the 5th spot in the East, while the other two are at the top and third in the Western Conference, respectively. So, that could be a possible reason why Giannis hasn’t climbed to the top of the MVP ladder yet. What do you think about Doc Rivers’ explanation? Let us know in the comments below!
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