The upcoming season for the Milwaukee Bucks will be the toughest challenge for Giannis Antetokounmpo in many years. Playing alongside Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Damian Lillard helped him enjoy strong regular season success almost every year in recent memory. This season will be tougher, making Antetokounmpo’s future a relevant talking point.
Antetokounmpo confirmed a report from ESPN insider Shams Charania about his goal still being to win a title. “The same thing I’ve been saying my whole career, I want to be on a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship,” Antetokounmpo said, despite sitting out the first day of training camp after testing positive for COVID-19.
Bucks fans may feel some fear over the quote, as Milwaukee lost Lillard and Lopez in favor of adding Myles Turner as the only major replacement. Antetokounmpo will have to deliver one of his best seasons just to get into the top six playoff spots, a feat that used to be nearly guaranteed in recent years.
Giannis Felt Same Thing Last Year
The Bucks’ unpredictable future is a major reason why Antetokounmpo’s quotes are drawing more attention than in previous seasons. However, he also expressed that he fully believes he has entered every season with the same mindset:
“I think it’s a disservice to basketball, just to the game, to not want it to compete in a high level, to want your season to end in April. It’s not the first time. I had the same thoughts last year. I had the same thoughts two years ago. I had the same thoughts five years ago. It is never going to change. I want to be among the best. I want to compete with the best, and I want to win another championship.”
Fans are putting extra emphasis on this season’s results and how they will impact Antetokounmpo’s commitment moving forward without another All-Star teammate. He is trying his best to treat it as business as usual, but his quest for winning adds to the story.
Can Giannis Carry This Bucks Team?
Negative variables caused the recent Milwaukee project of pairing Giannis and Lillard to fail. Injuries to both superstars, Khris Middleton’s decline, Brook Lopez’s age and a lack of draft assets to limit trades have put the Bucks in a difficult position to continue contending for a title.
Milwaukee waived the injured Lillard to free up space to sign Turner as a free-agent center. The overpay was criticized by many across the league, but the Bucks are acting out of desperation to keep Antetokounmpo on the roster. Turner must have the best season of his career and step up as a No. 2 option for the team to even have a chance at success.
Giannis’ quotes continue to emphasize his desire to win championships and contend at the highest level every spring. The Bucks’ recent first round eliminations add to this season’s pressure. Antetokounmpo must play nearly perfect basketball for Milwaukee to be a playoff team that can even win a single first round series, but the question is if this is enough to keep him happy beyond the season.