Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Doumbouya, Middleton, Antetokoumpo, Simonovic

July 15th, 2021 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While fielding a number of questions about the Pistons’ No. 1 pick, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com also addressed the future of 2019 draft pick Sekou Doumbouya. Langlois anticipates Doumbouya, who wasn’t drafted by current general manager Troy Weaver, will play in the summer league where he can show greater consistency and effectiveness. The Pistons must decide this offseason whether to pick up the forward’s fourth-year option at $5.5MM for the 2022/23 season.

We have more on the Central Division:

Bucks forward Khris Middleton is focused on the Finals but he’s also a minority owner with the Brisbane Bullets in Australia’s NBL. Middleton told Marc Spears of The Undefeated many players are looking into similar ventures. “Being a part of an ownership group is something I wanted to do, for sure,” Middleton said. “As a player it could be tough. But I realize the responsibilities I had wasn’t going to really affect my basketball career right now. But it’s something I think a lot of players are starting to trend towards is finding ways to invest their money, finding things to do with their money that can grow, and it’s something I’m interested in.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Middleton are the two main building blocks that made the Bucks a championship-level team. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today examines the lengthy partnership between the two teammates. Middleton was acquired in 2013 from Detroit in the same year the two-time MVP was drafted. “At first, friendly competition, a guy like him from Detroit and I just got drafted,” Antetokounmpo said. “We just tried to get on the floor, going at one another in practices. But throughout the time, there was a lot of times that he proved that he’s going to do whatever it takes to help the team win. That’s the type of guy that you want next to you.”
Draft-and-stash prospect Marko Simonovic is expected to sign with the Bulls this summer and from what K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago hears, he can be a rotation player at least. Simonovic was a second-round pick so the team’s fans should set their expectations for the 6’11” big man accordingly, Johnson adds.

Central Notes: Pistons, Antetokounmpo, Tucker, Taylor

July 13th, 2021 at 9:29pm CST by Eli Cohen

With the number one pick in the draft and a promising, newly re-made young core, this is a pivotal offseason for the Pistons, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic in a mailbag.

Within the piece, Edwards discusses the likelihood of the Pistons selecting Cade Cunningham (very likely), the fit between Cunningham and last year’s top selection (French point guard Killian Hayes), 2021 free agency plans, what the Pistons are likely to do with restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, Isaiah Stewart‘s status as a starting center, Jerami Grant, and much more.

We have more from the Central Division:

David Aldridge of The Athletic profiles Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s dramatic return from injury and resumption of his regular season dominance. He talks to two-time NBA champion Isiah Thomas, among others, about what Antetokounmpo has done in the three games since his return. “He’s been the most inspiring player during these playoffs, while (Chris) Paul has been the sentimental player we all root for and want his career to end with a ring,” Thomas said in a text to Aldridge.
Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps of ESPN examine the journey Bucks forward P.J. Tucker has taken from the Ukrainian SuperLeague to the NBA Finals. One of the keys to Tucker’s resilience and fortitude, write MacMahon and Bontemps, was his ability to form connections in the locker room. “We had a team with an old Serbian guy who didn’t speak particularly good English, and P.J. made a connection with him and had a great friendship with him,” said former coach Chris Fleming. “The U.S. players, the young German players, he had an ability to reach everybody.”
The Bulls worked out Terry Taylor on Monday, tweets Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw. The 6’5″ guard averaged over 20 PPG and 11 RPG over his final two seasons at Austin Peay State University.

Community Shootaround: Antetokounmpo’s Finals Run

July 13th, 2021 at 7:37pm CST by Eli Cohen

When Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a hyperextended knee in Game 4 of the Bucks‘ Eastern Conference Finals series against the Hawks, it was unclear what it would mean for the his chances at playing in the NBA Finals. His medical status was up in the air until just moments before tip-off in Game 1 against the Suns, but he ultimately was able to suit up.

Even with the Bucks losing the opening game and getting a relatively pedestrian 20-point performance from the two-time MVP, it was clear that Giannis was back. From his 17 rebounds to his work in the post, he found his footing after some early hesitancy.

Antetokounmpo’s following two games were nothing short of spectacular. The Greek Freak joined Shaquille O’Neal as the only two players in Finals history to post back-to-back 40-point, 10-rebound games as the Bucks split Games 2 and 3 with the Suns.

With Game 4 looming on Wednesday on the Bucks’ home court, Antetokounmpo currently has the 12th-highest scoring rate in NBA Finals history at 34.3 PPG, the fifth-highest rebound rate at 14 RPG, and the third-highest free throw rate at 15.7 FTA. Only two points per game separate Antetokounmpo’s scoring rate with the sixth-highest output in Finals history, O’Neal’s 36.3 PPG in the 2000 Finals.

Antetokounmpo’s co-stars, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, have struggled to contribute at the highest level all series, though Holiday managed to free himself for 21 points in Game 3. If those two players continue to struggle, the Bucks will need Antetokounmpo to continue his Herculean efforts if they want any chance to bring home the coveted Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

If the Bucks are to complete the comeback from a 2-0 deficit for the second time this postseason, it will likely be on the back of an all-time, legacy-making Finals performance from Antetokounmpo.

Which leads to the question of the day: Can Antetokounmpo enshrine his name in the pantheon of the all-time Finals performances? Can he lead the Bucks to their first championship since 1971?

Head to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Bucks Notes: Middleton, Giannis, Team Building, Portis

July 10th, 2021 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks may be in a difficult situation, trailing Phoenix 2-0 in the NBA Finals, but the mood was relaxed at today’s media session, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Giannis Antetokounmpo joked with reporters as he answered questions, explaining that the team has chosen this approach rather than being dragged down by the must-win game Sunday night.

Khris Middleton noted that Milwaukee was in the same predicament in the second round against the Nets. The Bucks were able to regroup and take that series after two lopsided losses in Brooklyn.

“A lot of people thought our season was done,” he said. “We still believed in ourselves. We came back and had an ugly grind-it-out game that we found a way to win. Sometimes it’s not going to be pretty. Sometimes it’s going to be ugly. We just got to find a way to win one game at a time from here on out.”

There’s more from Milwaukee:

An impassioned speech that Antetokounmpo delivered late in the first half of Game 2 shows how much he has grown in a leadership role, observes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Although he prefers to avoid the spotlight, Giannis has become the team’s on-court leader, a status he cemented when he agreed to a contract extension in December. “He’s grown as a leader vocally. He always had that, you know, workman-type attitude and he always put as much time in the gym as anybody,” Pat Connaughton said. “But even when he got hurt (in the East finals), he was vocal. He was with us. He was present. He was in the locker room. He was on the bench during games. He was pulling people aside individually. He was pulling the team aside collectively and I think he’s done a phenomenal job in his growth as a leader vocally.”
It took eight years for the Bucks to build a Finals team around Antetokounmpo and Middleton, who have been with the team since 2013, and Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN looks back at nine significant events in that process.
In an article for The Players’ Tribune, Bobby Portis talks about the challenge facing the Bucks and how it relates to his own journey to become an NBA player.

Eastern Notes: Holiday, LaVine, Hawks, Magic

July 9th, 2021 at 7:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The trade that brought Jrue Holiday to Milwaukee helped the Bucks reach the Finals. Holiday has struggled in the first two games of the series but Giannis Antetokounmpo is confident his teammate turn things around as the series shifts to Milwaukee, Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes.

“No matter what’s going on, you’ve got to stay aggressive and you cannot get in your feelings. It’s hard not to,” Antetokounmpo said. “You know, NBA Finals, 20,000 people booing you and all that, it’s kind of hard. … If there’s a game that you’re 3-for-12 or whatever the case might be and you can rebound the ball or get a steal or do something else to help the team win, that’s what it’s all about right now. I think he understands that. I know he’s going to be there when we need him the most and I don’t worry about it.”

Holiday shot 11-for-35 from the field during the two games in Phoenix.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Zach LaVine will discuss a contract extension with the Bulls soon and he anticipates a positive outcome, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times tweets. LaVine will make $19.5MM next season and then is due to become an unrestricted free agent. LaVine is currently with Team USA training for the Olympics.
On the surface, Jamahl Mosley won’t have a lot of pressure as the new head coach of the rebuilding Magic — provided that he finalizes an agreement — but he’ll face some obstacles, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. The current roster doesn’t have a clear No. 1 offensive option and that could create some chemistry issues. In the same piece, Robbins reveals that president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and GM John Hammond are expected to receive contract extensions. Both have one year remaining on their deals and the length of their new contracts will likely coincide with Mosley’s deal.
Now that he’s had the interim tag removed, Hawks coach Nate McMillan knows that expectations will ramp up for a team that reached the conference finals, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. “Things just for whatever reason went right, and we had a lot of success,” he said. “We know that expectations are going to be higher for us next season. But the one thing we’ve tried to keep this team locked in on is just us. Not the outside noise and what people are saying we should be or shouldn’t be because at the beginning of the season, they weren’t saying what they’re saying now about us. So you can’t focus on that.”

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Budenholzer, Holiday, Free Throws

July 7th, 2021 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo gave an encouraging answer when asked how his knee felt the day after Game 1 of the NBA Finals, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“I feel good,” he told reporters at today’s media session. “I was out there, so I felt good. I tried to help my team in any way possible.” When someone asked again about the knee, he responded, “I feel good. I feel good … my body feels good.”

The Bucks‘ star was originally listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s opener with a hyperextended left knee, but he was upgraded to questionable after a morning workout, then was cleared to play following pregame warmups. He wound up logging 35 minutes with 20 points and 17 rebounds. He isn’t listed on Milwaukee’s injury report for Game 2, Nehm adds (via Twitter).

There’s more on the Bucks:

Head coach Mike Budenholzer is optimistic about Antetokounmpo’s prospects for the rest of the Finals, Nehm writes in a full story. Budenholzer was happy about what Giannis was able to contribute Tuesday night and said he’s likely to get better as the series moves on. “I think it usually takes him playing — he’s a rhythm guy,” Budenholzer said. “So, I’m excited about how he’ll improve from Game 1 to Game 2. We’ll see how he feels. But I think play-wise, he always gets better when he plays.”
Milwaukee will need a bigger contribution from Jrue Holiday to have a chance at the title, Nehm adds. Holiday has upgraded the Bucks’ offense after being acquired in an offseason trade, but his shot was off in Game 1 as he hit just 4-of-14 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. “I think I had a bad shooting night,” Holiday said. “I had a lot of opportunities to make layups and shots, and they weren’t falling. Again, I think I do a little bit more than scoring, just getting people plays and 3s and driving to the basket, but me personally, I didn’t shoot well tonight.”
Budenholzer didn’t directly blame the officials for the free throw disparity in Game 1, but he said his team needs to do a better job of keeping Phoenix off the foul line, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The Suns made 25-of-26 free throws in the 13-point victory, while the Bucks were 9-of-16.“I can’t remember the last time a team got 25 free throws in a game against the Bucks,” Budenholzer said. “And then conversely, the way Giannis attacks, the way Khris (Middleton) attacks, as many opportunities as Khris has with the ball … it’s frustrating, but it’s part of the sport. It’s part of the game.”

NBA Finals Notes: Giannis, Saric, Paul, MVP

July 7th, 2021 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

When Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bucks star initially thought his season was over — and that the start of his next season may be in jeopardy too.

“I thought I would be out for a year,” Antetokounmpo said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Giannis added that until the results of his MRI came back, he was convinced his absence would be a lengthy one.

“I couldn’t walk, and my knee was like double the size,” Antetokounmpo said. “Usually I never swell up. But you know, I woke up the next day, did whatever it’s called, MRI or X-ray — I don’t know what it’s called — and they said I’m good. And I was like, ‘Thank God.'”

Antetokounmpo, who was originally listed as doubtful for Game 1, was upgraded to questionable on Tuesday afternoon and was cleared after going through pregame warmups without any issues. He didn’t look too bothered by the knee on Tuesday night, racking up 20 points and 17 rebounds, but said he hopes to feel even better for Game 2, as Bontemps relays.

Here are a few more notes related to the NBA Finals, which the Suns lead 1-0:

Despite the fact that the Bucks lost Game 1, Antetokounmpo’s return offers the team hope for the rest of the series, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Suns forward Dario Saric suffered a right knee injury the first quarter on Tuesday night and didn’t return. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, there was no official update on Saric’s condition after the game, so his status going forward is unclear.
Chris Paul, who is playing in his first Finals in his 16th NBA season, joked on Tuesday that he hasn’t gotten used to not being able to watch other basketball games on days the Suns aren’t playing. “I was watching them soccer games,” Paul said, according to McMenamin. “I watched a hockey game last night.”
Paul looks like the early favorite to become this year’s Finals MVP, racking up a game-high 32 points and nine assists on 12-of-19 shooting on Tuesday. Check out our poll from last night to make your prediction for Finals MVP.

Giannis Antetokounmpo To Play In Game 1

July 6th, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:33pm: Antetokounmpo will play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Giannis went through a full work-out prior to the game and will suit up as the Bucks take on the Suns.

1:37pm: Antetokounmpo has been undergoing around-the-clock treatment in the hopes of being cleared for Game 1, according to Andrews and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Giannis is expected to be a game-time decision tonight.

12:48pm: Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s condition has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s opener of the NBA Finals, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. He had been listed as doubtful on the Bucks‘ injury report Monday night.

Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since hyperextending his left knee a week ago in Game 4 against the Hawks, but Bucks owner Marc Lasry is confident that he will return some time during the series, writes Adam Zagoria of Forbes. Lasry commented on the status of his star during an appearance this morning on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”

“I mean hopefully we’ll find out what happens with Giannis,” he said. “But, you know, it’s up to the medical staff and him as to how he’s gonna feel but they’ll figure it out. I’m pretty sure he’ll play in the series. The question is when.”

Head coach Mike Budenholzer said Monday that the two-time MVP was able to do more on-court work and is “making progress.” Lasry added the decision on Antetokounmpo’s return will depend entirely on how the knee heals.

“It’s really gonna be up to the medical staff and they’ll figure it out and their focus is really on just making sure he stays healthy and that we don’t do anything,” he said.

Antetokounmpo was dominant in two games against the Suns this season, averaging 40 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Listed As Doubtful For Game 1

July 5th, 2021 at 9:37pm CST by Eli Cohen

Bucks star and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) has been listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, writes Malika Andrews of ESPN.

Earlier in the day, coach Mike Budenholzer said Giannis “had a good day and is making good progress,” but acknowledged he wasn’t sure about Antetokounmpo’s status for Game 1. According to Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic, Budenholzer said that Antetokounmpo was able to do some on-court work.

The Bucks managed to hold on for the last two-and-a-half games of the Eastern Conference Finals following Antetokounmpo’s knee hyperextension, and they may need some more heroics from Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez if Antetokounmpo is unable to suit up for Game 1 against Phoenix.

The Suns hope to be at full health themselves following a positive COVID-19 test for Chris Paul and Devin Booker‘s broken nose earlier in the postseason.

Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, NBA Finals, Holiday, Budenholzer

July 4th, 2021 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

After years of frustration as he tried to reach the NBA Finals, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was stuck on the sidelines Saturday as his teammates took him there, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Many feared Milwaukee’s chances were over when Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextended knee in Game 4, but the supporting cast stepped up and dispatched Atlanta without him.

Although Antetokounmpo was injured, he was standing through virtually all of Saturday’s game, cheering on his team and offering advice and encouragement.

“He’s halfway on the court talking to Bobby (Portis), talking to Brook (Lopez), talking to different players, to see that kind of connection, commitment, from a player who would be dying to be out there and playing,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think he appreciates, you know, what his teammates can do.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

Antetokoumpo’s status remains uncertain heading into the Finals, which will start Tuesday in Phoenix. There was reportedly optimism that he would try to play Monday if the Hawks series had gone to a seventh game. He did on-court work yesterday for the first time since suffering the injury, but little was revealed about that session. Budenholzer told reporters that he will evaluate Antetokounmpo on a day-to-day basis with help from general manager Jon Horst and the sports performance team, tweets Ben Golliver of The Washington Post.
Milwaukee paid a huge price for Jrue Holiday over the offseason, sending three first-round picks and two potential swaps to the Pelicans, but he’s showing he was worth it, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. With Antetokounmpo injured, Holiday averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 11 assists in Games 5 and 6. “Within the team, we just love playing with him,” Pat Connaughton said. “We love having him on board. We love the type of guy he is as a person. As a player, he always makes the right play. When he’s in attack mode he’s really hard to stop not just from a scoring standpoint but from getting other guys involved, getting guys easy shots, getting open shots, whatever it might be.”
Budenholzer has been maligned for playoff disappointments in Milwaukee and Atlanta, but he made an important decision after Game 4 that helped swing the series in the Bucks’ favor, Nehm adds. Budenholzer abandoned the team’s traditional drop coverage on the pick-and-roll and asked his big men to switch on ball screens. “He’s done more adjusting this year than he’s ever done before, schemes and some of the things that we’re doing, he’s getting a little more adventurous,” said P.J. Tucker. “And I think the personnel, that gives him a freedom to do that a lot more and that’s one of the reasons we’ve been so successful.”