Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo joins many around the team who have expressed frustration over the team’s play in Orlando to this point. Milwaukee recorded just a 3-5 record in eight seeding games despite going 53-12 before the season was suspended in March.
Antetokounmpo, a perennial MVP candidate, hinted that the team’s effort and ball movement must improve entering the postseason if the club hopes to succeed.
“It wasn’t frustrating because we were losing. Like, losing is part of basketball, losing is part of the game, but, obviously, what was frustrating because at times I think we wasn’t ourselves,” Antetokounmpo said, as relayed by Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “We wasn’t moving the ball as much as I wanted to move the ball or as much as [coach Mike Budenholzer] wants us to move the ball. We wasn’t defending as hard. As I said, there was times that we were ourselves, where we were the No. 1 team in the league on defense, but there were times that we showed that and there was times that we didn’t.
“I think the most frustrating part for me was probably the Memphis game, sitting in the hotel and not being able to be out there to help my teammates compete and win a game and losing a lot of money. But, yeah, this is over. This is in the past,” he continued. “Now it’s playoff time. I definitely don’t believe in the turn-on switch that everybody talks about, like we can turn on the switch and be great, but I do believe that if everybody is on the same page and if everyone is focused and get together and watch clips and be on the same page and we know what our game plan is, I believe we can play way, way better.”
Antetokounmpo was named to the NBA All-Seeding Games Second Team in Orlando, holding per-game averages of 27.8 points and 12.2 rebounds. The Bucks are set to open the playoffs in a first-round matchup against the Magic (33-40) on Tuesday.
Here are some other notes out of the Central Division:
- Pistons big man Blake Griffin is willing to accept a different role if it helps the team succeed during its rebuild, Woodyard explores in a separate story for ESPN. “I look for our team to be competitive,” Griffin said as part of a larger quote last week. “I know from my conversations with Coach [Dwane Casey] and [GM] Troy [Weaver] and the front office, they want to put a competitive team on the floor. I’ve told them, I’m here to do whatever they ask of me. Whether that’s sort of taking on a different role, taking on more of a role, whatever it might be.”
- The Pacers’ arena renovations at Bankers Life Fieldhouse are proceeding as regularly scheduled, Akeem Glaspie of the Indianapolis Star writes. The renovations are set to total roughly $362MM and an October 2022 deadline has been set for completion.
- James Edwards III of The Athletic makes five offseason predictions for the Pistons, a team that’s largely expected to continue its rebuild phase under head coach Dwane Casey. Edwards examines the club’s draft situation, Christian Wood‘s impending free agency, and more.
To make playoffs
I put Pistons and Knicks ahead of Bulls，Pelicans and Suns
One thing only
Sign top free agents or
Make good trade to take more salary and help others to save tax
Target Embiid and Simmons
Not Wall and Horford
The only reason NY and Detroit have a better chance of making the playoffs than either NO or the Suns is because they play in the east.
Duh
Thank you for your helpful contribution, as always.
Sillivan, for the love of god, please stop suggesting the Sixers will dump embiid or simmons to reduce their luxury tax bill. You make these ridiculous claims on practically every thread. It will never happen as a salary dump. NEVER! Unless the acquiring team is giving up an elite haul, you can just put that idea to bed
Surely Griffin gets traded. Everyone knows the Pistons are in rebuilding mode now which is fine. They had a go at competitive with Reggie Drummond and Griffin but it never worked.
Griffin has one of the leagues worst deals maybe they flip him for John Wall.
Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose for John Wall and Moritz Wagner.
Pistons get a solid bet lead guard and a young stretch big which would work well with Christian Wood. Washington gets Griffin to hell Bradley Beal and also Derrick Rose who could be a starter or sixth man. Either way Wizards become more of a threat and Pistons get to rebuild with a bet point to help their young guys
Or maybe Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose for Mike Conley, Ed Davis and a protected first.
Jazz get a big 3 of Mitchell Gobert and Griffin plus DRose as a sixth man. Not to mention solid role players Bogdan, Joe Ingles, ONeale and Bradley. Pistons get back a bet point on a 1 year deal which then gives them money for FA and a protected future first
I really like the Utah proposal, as it gives the Jazz a better chance in the postseason by bolstering their offensive upside while still retaining their defensive mindset with the presence of Gobert and O’Neale.
The Pistons accelerate their rebuild by removing a significant 2021/2022 cap hit off the books and Rose wasn’t a part of the future anyway
They could always send Griffin to OKC for Steven Adams so he can join Chris Paul there. Maybe they can work out a 3-way deal with Brooklyn and re-unite DeAndre Jordan with his pals and they can make more commercials for State Farm.
You can’t have a team of all kids. Both can set an example of competitiveness. Rose was set up last year to role-model. Griffin’s salary is hard to match. Any trade would return someone else on a bad contract, and are both teams better off?— probably not.
The man got jokes. Biggest joke is Har en MVP.
OKC is actually a good place for Griffin. Come home and end your career. Pistons can probably get good value in trade. Woods is a player to watch. I know Knicks were scouting him. But now with Thibs will they still go after him. Woods has a good future. But I see him more as a center than a PF. Definitely can be okay C in small ball. Pistons can sign n trade him. Or keep him. He’s only 24 yrs old. I watched lot of tape on him. He got gm. He’s worth looking into.
There is no market for a big man with gimpy knees that has no J!!!
Agreed. If I am a GM I need to be getting something so sweet that I get diabetes in order to take on the husk of Blake Griffin.