By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Back in January 2019, Giannis Antetokounmpo was not named Eastern Conference Player of the Month. Since then, he dominated the award, winning it also for January 2020, as the NBA announced. LeBron James was named Western Conference Player of the Month for January.
Last season’s NBA MVP continues to dominate the individual accolades of the league.
While leading the Bucks to an NBA-best 11-2 record in January, Antetokounmpo averaged 29.2 points (3rd in Eastern Conference), 13.4 rebounds (2nd in Eastern Conference), and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 54.7% from the field. In 12 games last month, Antetokounmpo tallied nine games with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, including six with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds, and posted his fourth triple-double of the season in a win over the Bulls on Jan. 20.
On the season, Antetokounmpo is averaging career-highs in points (30.0, 2nd in NBA) and rebounds (13.1, 5th in NBA) per game in addition to 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.7 minutes per contest while shooting 55.1% overall. The NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo, is on pace to become the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972-73, and just the fourth player ever, to average 30.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in a season.
Overall this is the eighth time Antetokounmpo has earned Player of the Month honors in his career. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, Antetokounmpo has won the award in all but one month.