“Don’t Want To Hear This S**t”: Kevin Garnett Astonished At Damian Lillard And Giannis Antetokounmpo Losing Without Khris Middleton

The Milwaukee Bucks are off to a putrid start to their 2024-25 NBA campaign. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo haven’t been able to right the ship on their own despite fairly Herculean efforts from their side. Kevin Garnett doesn’t seem to understand why this is the case and rejects the notion that a 2-6 start has to do solely with Khris Middleton.

“Man, Middleton does not take up this much [losses]. I don’t want to hear this s**t. Get the f*** out of here. You got Dame and you got Giannis doing what they can bro.”

The All-Star caliber forward continues to rehabilitate his offseason ankle surgeries with no definite timeline for return. While he is a crucial piece for the Bucks, not having him should not result in 6 straight losses to start off a season where they are looking to be in the hunt for a championship.

Giannis and Dame have been on a hot streak to start the year off with the latter having the most 30 point games of any guard in the league as of November 8^th. Giannis on the other hand has been on a tear, averaging a whopping 10.4 made field goals from within 10 feet of the basket on 68.2% shooting.

Doc Rivers is someone else who KG and Pierce discuss when talking about who on the Bucks is on the hot seat. The two Celtics legends have a soft spot for Doc given that they won a title together in ’08 but they feel as though he could do a better job at coaching the team in Middleton’s absence.

“You bring Doc in because you feel Doc can get you over the hump and to not respond to him? It’s something,” said Pierce. Dame recently defended his head coach from detractors on IG, saying ‘absolutely not’ when questioned about letting go of Doc so it’s fair to say that the Bucks ‘top brass’ still have a ton of faith in him.

Damian Lillard and Giannis speak on their increased chemistry

It’s no secret Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have struggled to find a rhythm on the court together. While they have started the year off with several 30+ point games of their own, their chemistry together isn’t what led to those taking place.

Of course, as time moves on, that chemistry starts to build. Giannis getting more comfortable with screening for Lillard is a key component in their two-man game flourishing. He’s historically not been a greater screener so seeing him stand firm in those picks beyond the arc is a refreshing sight to see.

“It’s a lot more natural. Last year, everyone was like, ‘Oh, they gotta play two-man.’ In practice, it was so scripted, so much pressure on what we were supposed to do. But with time and reps, and getting to know each other, now we’re having a lot of communication,” said Dame.

Lillard predicts that their two-man game is ‘coming together’ and wants it to come within the flow of the offense rather than strict, set plays. Giannis also commented on the same, establishing that he feels hopeful towards their game being smoother as time goes on.