Dame’s competition for the award is a stiff, but we believe he will end up hoisting the award this summer for a couple of reasons.
First is his recent play. Dame has been one of the best clutch players in history, and now he appears to have he swagger back. He is shooting the ball better and continues to be near-perfect from the free throw line.
The other reason is the team he plays for. While Giannis continues to be their top scorer, his inability to make free throws or shoot from deep makes him more of a liability at the end of games. Teams do not hesitate to foul him, sending him to the line repeatedly.
That means Dame is the top option for Milwaukee at the end of games. Given that the team is playing better and has a difficult remaining schedule, we expect to see them in some close games against elite teams. We expect Dame to be crucial for the Bucks over this final run, reminding voters just how clutch he is.
Considering the legend of “Dame Time”, betting on Lillard to win the award at +1000 is just too good to pass up.