Bucks’ Doc Rivers Says Voter Fatigue Is Why Giannis Antetokounmpo Isn’t In MVP Conversation

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers believes voter fatigue is why Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t in the NBA MVP conversation this season. 

Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVPs in 2019 and 2020. 

“I don’t even want to get into it, but there’s been guys that you get tired of voting for,” Rivers said, via The Athletic. “Michael (Jordan) may be the poster child of that. And Giannis seems to be in that category. Where you’re so good, everything you do is taken for granted. When you just look at his numbers, they’re incredible, and yet, you never hear his name. It’s unbelievable, but that’s a sign of respect more than disrespect in some ways.”

Antetokounmpo is having a stellar season for the Bucks. He’s averaging 30.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 61.9% from the field, 30.1% from beyond the arc and 66.1% from the free-throw line. 

A future Hall of Famer, Antetokounmpo has 47 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles in 59 games. He’s first in the NBA in points, third in points per game, fifth in rebounds, sixth in rebounds per game, 13th in assists, 18th in assists per game, ninth in steals, 15th in steals per game, first in field goals and fourth in player efficiency rating. 

“(With) Giannis, it’s that thing we talked about: ‘Feeding the pig.’ Meaning, if you fall into a play that works — and we had the little angle action — stay with it,” Rivers said after the Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls last night (3/1). “Why would you go away from something that’s (working)? Just keep running it and keep running it.”

The Bucks are 40-21 on the season. They are in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. Antetokounmpo and Co. are second in the NBA in points per game and 19th in points per game allowed. 

Rivers is 8-7 since taking over for Adrian Griffin. The Bucks look like legitimate title contenders with Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard leading the way.