The Milwaukee Bucks are six games out of the final play-in spot in the East with 17 games to go, and they are chasing some of the league’s hottest teams in Charlotte and Atlanta. Milwaukee’s loss to Miami on Thursday was its seventh loss in eight games, and they are 1-4 since Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup. The Bucks aren’t trying to lose, they are just not a good team.
After that game, Antetokounmpo’s comments sticking up for Bam Adebayo and his 83-point outing a couple of nights before drew the initial headlines. But Antetokounmpo’s comments about the Miami Heat raised eyebrows as well. Here’s what he said, via Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
“They’re going to play tough, and they’re not going to stop playing. That’s the Miami Heat culture. It’s tough. For me personally, I don’t know how the team feels, but for me personally, it’s a tough season… I’m just trying to take it game by game. I’m grateful — happy that I’m out here competing. But at the same time, it’s in my nature to win games…
“Miami’s head coach [Erik Spoelstra] is going to keep playing, man. Even when they don’t knock down shots, you’re going to get second chances. They’re going to crash the board, get rebounds, find the open man, try to get to the free-throw line, keep on moving the ball, get the ball to Bam (Adebayo), and try to execute from there. They’re going to play hard. They have guards that can penetrate and drive and kick, and that’s what they do, man.”
Antetokounmpo has been frustrated this season, whether that’s enough to get him to leave the only team he has played for in the NBA — the only city he has called home since leaving Greece — is another question. Whatever moves the Bucks front office can make this offseason may well have a lot to say about that.
This offseason, the Bucks and Antetokounmpo will have an honest talk, which will include them offering him a max contract extension. How he responds to that will set the course for what comes next. While many people will read his comments above — and look at his actions over the past year — and think they know the answer, nothing is set in stone until he actually turns down the money Milwaukee puts on the table, which he has never done before.
That said, a lot of teams are prepping their offers to the Bucks for this offseason.
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