3 Bucks Whose Stock is Rising After First Month of NBA Season

After stumbling out of the gates, the Milwaukee Bucks are finally finding their balance. They’ve won six of their last seven games, climbing to 8-9 as the first month-ish of the NBA season wraps up.

With the Bucks beginning to look more like contenders than pretenders, here are three players who’ve boosted their stock in the early going.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Let’s get this straight: Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the most underrated superstar in the NBA right now.

In 16 games, he is leading the league in points per game (32.4), sits fifth in rebounds (11.9), and is tied for 18th in assists (6.4) while shooting an absurd 60.8 percent from the field. He’s a statistical cheat code, yet NBA.com’s MVP ladder has him sitting at a head-scratching fourth behind Nikola Jokić, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Davis.

Sure, Jokić’s absurd numbers—30.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game—warrant his spot at the top. But Tatum (29.1/8.2/6.1) and Davis (30.1/11.1/2.8)? Antetokounmpo not only matches or exceeds their production but does it while providing elite defense and redefining what a two-way force looks like.

After some summer speculation that his pairing with Damian Lillard might take time—or worse, flop—the two-time MVP has squashed the noise. Giannis has been steadily building his chemistry with Lillard and reminding everyone why he’s still one of the top two players on Earth. His ability to dominate on both ends of the floor is unparalleled, and his stock is soaring higher than a signature coast-to-coast slam. If anyone doubted him heading into this season, they’re quickly deleting their tweets.

The only thing more ridiculous than doubting Giannis? That MVP ladder.