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Midseason NBA MVP Top Five: Who will seperate from this field of flawed candidates?

By Jason Timpf

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 30: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks off the court after their 104-101 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 30, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 30: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks off the court after their 104-101 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 30, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 10: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic during a game at the Bradley Center on January 10, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 10: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic during a game at the Bradley Center on January 10, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

5: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Why he should be the MVP:

Don’t take this as an insult to Giannis, Bucks fans. He’s down here at five because of a poorly designed supporting cast and the still-early stage of his development. I had never seen a player — until Giannis — that I thought could rival the open-floor athleticism of a young Lebron James.

His numbers this year (29-10-5 on a Lebron-like 56% shooting) are certainly MVP worthy. I would also argue that he has been a top-five defender in the league this year. He is the bona fide best player on his team, and is certainly deserving of the credit for his team’s rise over the past two seasons.

Why he shouldn’t be the MVP:

Giannis Antetokounmpo is this year’s Russell Westbrook. The poor man’s version. And I mean that as a compliment because we all know if he was chasing stats the way Russ did he would be averaging some ludicrous 40-20-10 line. The Bucks are simply just not winning enough games to give him a real chance. Milwaukee is on pace for about 45 wins. We all felt terrible for giving the award to Russ, and he managed to win 47.

The problem is that Giannis can be contained at crucial points in games because of the poor design of his supporting cast. His lack of a jump shot limits him to the restricted area, and that area is just not frequently open with the likes of John Henson, Matthew Dellavedova and Eric Bledsoe on the court.

Also, Giannis — despite being an incredible defender himself — is incapable of covering for the mistakes of his teammates, which leaves Milwaukee with the 23rd-best defense in the league. It is the responsibility of the front office to construct a roster that can defend around Giannis, while complimenting his skills offensively. (*whispers* Jason Kidd certainly isn’t helping, either.)