There is no doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo is the star of the Milwaukee Bucks. He led them to a championship in 2021. During this run, he averaged 28.1 points per game, 5.9 assists per game, and 11.0 rebounds per game. He also won MVP in 2010 and 2020.
Antetokounmop has played for the Bucks his entire career. However, with the playoffs right around the corner and the team struggling, could this be his final year with Milwaukee despite the contract extension?
Giannis’s Effect on Milwaukee
Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks would not be where they are today. Though his first three years started off slow, he exploded in 2016-2017 and started to become the Greek Freak. If the team were to lose him, they would need to do a whole rebuild.
When viewers watch Milwaukee, they can tell that the team’s flow and movement all run through Giannis. This season, they have a 4-5 record without him. In a majority of these games, the team struggled to get anyone over 20 points. This shows the effect the Greek Freak has on his teammates.
The Bucks Have a Damian Lillard Problem
Yes, Damian Lillard is an incredible player, and it is unfortunate that he wasted a lot of his prime time with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the Bucks made a huge mistake in picking him up. They had an amazing defender in Jrue Holiday. Now, it seems the team has forgotten how to get around screens and protect the rim.
Lillard isn’t known for his defensive abilities. He is a fantastic scorer but lacks on the other end. Jrue Holiday was the defensive enforcer. There is a solid chance Antetokounmpo has recognized the trade mistake and may request a trade himself.
Doc Rivers Destroying the Bucks
The arrival of head coach Doc Rivers was the start of a bump in the road for Milwaukee. When watching the team play, I see a certain lack of fluidity in both the defense and offense. It is the head coach’s job to keep the chemistry up and the team running properly.
Bucks fans could be seeing a repeat of what happened in Philadelphia. Coach Rivers had an All-Star in Joel Embiid, and it still imploded. He struggled to get anything done with a healthy Emiid and blossoming Tyrese Maxey. Now, he has been placed in a position where he had Antetokounmpo and Lillard, and yet, once again, he has crashed the team into a ditch.
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Elizabeth is an avid watcher of all things sports. However, the Boston sports teams will always be her number one. Follow her on X @edellapiana1 .
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