The Milwaukee Bucks are struggling. Can their star Giannis Antetokounmpo be blamed for it? NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe thinks so.
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With a 1-6 record, the Bucks are off to the worst start in team history, matching the poor runs in 1968-69, 1974-75, and the 1993-94 seasons. The team missed the playoffs in each of those years, and signs are not positive this time around either. Amid the struggles on court, rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future with the franchise have surfaced too.
Sharpe presented his take on the fortunes of the Bucks moments after Kendrick Perkins spoke about Antetokounmpo on ESPN’s First Take.
“Giannis is the one that made this bed. He’s the one that got to lay in it.,” said Perkins, alluding to the two-time MVP’s role in bringing Damian Lillard in Milwaukee.
Lillard is a superstar guard. But the Bucks gave up Jrue Holiday in return, who went to Milwaukee’s biggest rival, the Boston Celtics. Sharpe believes that Giannis’ desires led to the Celtics forming the most dominant team in the NBA at the moment. He said:
“And Perk said he wanted another superstar, but in the process of getting that superstar in Damian Lillard, you weakened your team. Because of your on-ball presence, what Holiday is. Not only did you weaken your team, you strengthen the team that’s been your chief competition in the East. You made them damn near unbeatable.”
Both Perkins and Sharpe do have a point. Everything that the front office has done in the past few seasons was to meet Antetokounmpo’s approval.
Now, speculations are rising about Giannis’ thinning patience with the team. There is a possibility that he could request a trade. Sharpe feels Giannis can’t run from what is his own doing.
“Why are you going to set the house on fire and then you’re going to run your ass up out of it? No, stay there! If it burns down, you set it on fire. Don’t duck and dodge now,” said Sharpe.
Neither Giannis nor his representatives have publicly suggested that he would leave the team that drafted him in 2013.
However, the Bucks are the sixth oldest team in the NBA with an average age of 27.3 years. That plus their tight financial binds mean the only way to improve the roster would be to trade a significant player. So, is Giannis’ exit imminent?
There are many more questions on this team and it seems nobody knows how to fix them.
The Bucks’ early struggles
Since hiring Doc Rivers midway through the 2023-24 season, the Bucks have struggled. Doc’s predecessor, Adrian Griffin, led the side for 43 games, with a record of 30-13. The Bucks fired him, reportedly, due to a lack of productive relationship with the players and defensive worries.
At the time, the Bucks were the 21st-ranked team defensively. This was in stark contrast to the tight defensive performances under Mike Budenholzer. They used to typically finish top-five in the NBA with Mike.
Griffin, on his part, evolved the Bucks into the second-best offensive team.
It’s been a complete 180 under Doc Rivers. The champion-level coach was brought in to change the defensive identity of the team. Through the first seven games of the season, they are 22nd in the league, which is worse than Griffin’s record. Additionally, they possess the 20th-ranked offense in the league.
Milwaukee primarily struggle in their approach to defense. Out of the total shots their opponents attempt, 25.2% of them are wide-open opportunities. That is the eighth worst in the NBA.
Unlike last season, Lillard has found his groove now. The star guard is averaging 27.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.6 rebounds on 45.2% shooting from the field and 39.1% from three-point range. However, Giannis and Lillard have yet to win a game together, scoring 30-plus points each.
The Bucks’ championship aspirations are dwindling with each game and quick and evasive action, as a team, is needed for them to salvage their campaign, as well as retain the star in their roster.
