The Milwaukee Bucks are spiraling, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is no longer sugarcoating it.
Milwaukee is just 1-4 since Jan. 11 and sits at 18-25 after a 122-02 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The four losses in that stretch have come by an average of nearly 19 points, and the pattern became impossible to ignore.
After the loss, Antetokounmpo delivered one of his most direct postgame assessments in years, pointing squarely at effort, chemistry, and decision-making.
"We're not playing hard," Antetokounmpo said. "We aren't doing the right thing. We're not playing to win. We're not playing together. Our chemistry's not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own.
"At times, I feel like when we're down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it's not going to work."
Offensive Disconnect and Giannis' Role
The comments stand out not only for their tone, but for the context behind them. Antetokounmpo took 13 or fewer field-goal attempts in each of the Bucks' last four games, including just 11 against Oklahoma City. Last season, he averaged 19.7 attempts per game. This year, that number is down to 16.5.
"I'm not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammate out and demand the ball," Antetokounmpo said. "I've never done that in my career. But I feel like I've played with teammates that kind of understand the gravity that I can cause for our team…But maybe for some reason, I don't understand, maybe because we're young, maybe because we're not playing well…I really don't get it. I really don't."
Antetokounmpo even hinted he may need to change his approach.
"They told me there's this thing that's called the white swan and black swan, that you've got to be the black swan and be more aggressive and demand the ball," he said. "It's something I haven't done…Maybe I've got to do it more."
For an organization that was trying to calm the storm that is the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, one thing you would think they’d do is give the former league MVP the ball as much as he wants. It may not make him as happy as them finding him some help, but it surely would put them in a better position to win basketball games.
After the game, ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins spoke on Antetokounmpo’s comments from after the last game against the San Antonio Spurs, hinting that the mounting frustration may be the final straw in what looks like a strained relationship between the franchise icon and the organization.
“I’m thinking about the comments after last game rom Giannis, and I’m thinking about if they get smoked tonight, I think this could end the relationship,” Perkins said.
Well they indeed were “smoked” and now as tension continues to rise, the looming trade deadline on February 5th is starting to look even more bleak for the Bucks.
Mounting Pressure as Injuries Pile Up
The Bucks' margin for error is shrinking. Milwaukee sits 11th in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final Play-In spot, and hasn't won more than two games in a row all season.
Complicating matters further, the team will be without Kevin Porter Jr. for the foreseeable future due to an oblique strain.
"He's not going to play anytime soon," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "We don't know how long he'll be out."
Rivers also spoke on how crucial this next stretch is as they host the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks along with a big matchup against the Boston Celtics within the next five games.
“These next games are huge for us. All winnable game, all at home. We get some rest, I think we’ll find out what we have in these next four or five games. Its big for us.”
The Bucks in fact only have two home games over the next five but with both the Nuggets and Mavericks dealing with significant injuries it could be a chance for Milwaukee to turn things around.
Nonetheless, with chemistry fractured, injuries mounting, and Antetokounmpo openly questioning the team's direction, the Bucks are quickly approaching a crossroads. Whether that change comes from a shift in mindset, usage, or something more drastic remains to be seen but the urgency is unmistakable.
Newsweek