As of Week 8 of the 2023–24 NBA season, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the standout forward for the Milwaukee Bucks, is among the league’s leading scorers.

With 31.4 points per game after eight weeks of competition, the Greek Freak emerged as the third-leading scorer in the league.

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia Sixers leads the league in scoring with 34.2 points per game, followed by Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks with 32.7 points per game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, both with scores of 30.6, complete the Top 5.

A week of explosions for Antetokounmpo

Giannis’ spectacular performance last week—during a four-game period in which he averaged 36.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals—was the catalyst for his ascent to the top of the scoring chart.

During those four games, the Bucks were unbeaten, led by Giannis’ game-winning 64 points against the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo was also able to win his first Player of the Week award of the season thanks to the incredible four-game run.

Joel and Giannis in a close new MVP race?

Embiid ultimately won the coveted title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) over Antetokounmpo, who was a strong candidate.

With 73 first-place votes, Embiid won the prize, followed by Denver Nuggets player Nikola Jokic with 15 first-place votes. With twelve votes in the top spot, Giannis came in third.

Given the current trajectory, Giannis and Joel should be major players in the MVP race once more. With a 20-7 record, Milwaukee is now ranked second in the Eastern Conference, while Philadelphia is ranked third with an 18-8 record.