Sometimes, offense is the best defense. The Milwaukee Bucks’ social media team certainly seems to think so as they recently taunted Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor for underrating Giannis Antetokounmpo’s phenomenal start to the 2024-25 season
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Following their six-point win against the Charlotte Hornets, the Bucks’ X account took a dig at O’Connor, sharing Antetokounmpo’s impressive stat-line of 32 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks with the caption “Not bad for Third Team All-NBA.”
O’Connor, who found himself lambasted in the comments, took note of the jibe and responded to the tweet with a surprised Adam Sandler meme.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 24, 2024
Last Friday, O’Connor shared his one-month awards, listing the league’s best performers through the first few weeks. His list would inadvertently spark controversy after he placed Antetokounmpo in the All-NBA Third Team.
Two seasons ago, he ranked the 2021 DPOY as the best player in the league, so O’Connor’s ranking was certainly swayed by Milwaukee’s dismal start to the year. Nonetheless, fans widely criticized the Yahoo analyst for underrating Giannis’ incredible performances.
With 31.4 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists this season, the Greek Freak has dragged his Milwaukee Bucks back into the Playoff conversation, helping them secure their fourth straight win last night.
After picking up an injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the start of the month, Antetokounmpo missed one game. He returned on the 8th of November with a head full of steam to snap the Bucks’ six-game losing streak.
A few days later, the 29-year-old dropped the highest points total of the season in an overtime win against the Detroit Pistons. With 59 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals, Antetokounmpo secured a historic stat-line and signaled a turning of the tide for his team.
He also had dominant outings against Chicago and Indiana, who were on the receiving end of 41 and 37 points respectively, courtesy of the Greek Freak. Though concerns about the roster’s Playoff ceiling do persist, given how challenging every win has been for the team, Antetokounmpo has undoubtedly gone above and beyond to stow the ship in Milwaukee.
The Bucks are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, after starting the season with a 1-6 record.
The Bucks will enjoy a lighter schedule over the next few weeks, so they’ll have a chance to further improve their prospects. Their next matchup against an above-.500 team is on December 7th, when they face the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
