Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in an intriguing position. They currently sit third in the Eastern Conference. With a skilled lineup, enhanced by the acquisition of Damian Lillard, the team’s underwhelming start, particularly under Doc Rivers’ guidance, with a 5-7 record, has made victories scarce and has invited scrutiny.
Despite securing the NBA’s top spot with an impressive 58 wins last season, the Milwaukee Bucks faced early playoff elimination. In response, they embarked on an aggressive offseason, acquiring Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, aiming to forge a formidable duo with Giannis. While the Bucks have experienced some triumphs, their current 35-21 record falls short of expectations. Anticipated to defend their No. 1 seed and clinch a championship, the team’s performance has been somewhat disappointing. Consequently, first-year head coach Adrian Griffin faced swift dismissal, despite a promising 30-13 start to the season.
In a conversation with The Athletic, the “Greek Freak” delved into the Milwaukee Bucks’ challenges, attributing their struggles to frequent alterations within the backroom staff and roster. Additionally, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed unwavering backing for teammate Damian Lillard as the go-to closer in late-game situations for the team. He said,
I am his biggest fan. Good or bad, I ride with Dame until the f–king end. I ride with Dame. Like I’ve been saying this over and over again. This. Is. His. Team. Down the stretch, he’s going to get the ball. There’s nothing else that we will do. I don’t know how else to put it. I don’t know what else to say. But at the end of the day, he has to believe it too.
Antetokounmpo continues to showcase his dominant form, firmly positioning himself in the MVP conversation with remarkable averages of 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. While the Bucks had hoped for Damian Lillard to maintain a scoring output similar to last season’s impressive 32.2 points per game, his current average of 24.6 points, along with solid contributions in assists, rebounds, and three-pointers made, reflects a slight dip in efficiency.
With 26 regular-season games remaining, the Bucks have the opportunity to gather momentum heading into the playoffs. They have the possibility of securing their second championship in four years.
Giannis Antetokounmpo still has faith in Coach Doc Rivers
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the star of the Milwaukee Bucks, disclosed to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm in an interview before the All-Star break that he felt compelled to adopt a more vocal role this season. Particularly during the initial 43 games under coach Adrian Griffin’s tenure, Antetokounmpo found himself actively engaging in film sessions and play diagrams.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Doc Rivers (Image via ESPN)Despite the Bucks’ commendable 40-13 record during Griffin’s tenure, which spanned 15 seasons as an assistant coach, tensions escalated. Giannis added,
Some peace of mind. He’s tough. He’s Doc f*ing Rivers. He knows his s**t. Same thing for Coach Bud[enholzer]. Same with Joe Prunty, J-Kidd. And Coach Griff was a great coach, a great person to work with, but, at the end of the day, it was his first time. Coach Doc, he’s a great guy, been in the league for a lot of years, won a lot of games. Like, you go to bed, you sleep well at night. Win or lose, you know that the coaching staff is going to be prepared.
Under Doc Rivers’ leadership, the Milwaukee Bucks have posted a 3-7 record. Before joining the Bucks, Rivers had served as an NBA head coach for 24 consecutive seasons, preceded by a stint as an analyst for ESPN earlier in the current season. Despite the team’s mixed performance under Rivers, Giannis Antetokounmpo asserts that Rivers has contributed to making his role on the team more manageable.
