Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks are having a terrific start to the 2022-23 NBA season, playing better than the most optimistic fan ever thought. They are simply dominating the competition, and the best part of it is that Khris Middleton isn’t even on the court with the rest of his teammates.
That’s why so many people think once Middleton returns, this team will be incredibly hard to beat. They already are, but having their Big 3 together will always be a plus for the Bucks.
Meanwhile, Giannis is playing at a great level, reaching yet another level and becoming the early favorite for the 2023 NBA MVP award, only having a serious competitor in Luka Doncic.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Says He Loves To Play Against Atlanta Hawks
The Greek Freak is always looking for the next challenge, and he’s not shy to say that he enjoys being pushed to the next level. That’s how he decided that the Atlanta Hawks are the team that he likes playing against the most. That should make sense, as the Hawks were the ones who ended the Bucks’ 9-0 unbeaten run.
“I always love playing against people that love, that take pride in guarding, and [Okonkgu] is one of them,” said Antetokounmpo, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “Capela is another one. Collins, another one. I always love playing against people that take pride in defending and taking the challenge. You can kind of feel that. I have played against people that you kind of know they’re not taking this too seriously, they kind of have that fear factor in their mind and you can kind of see it in their eyes, kind of smell it from the first play.”
“But I’ve played against [the Hawks] a lot of times, and I don’t feel that and I love that about it,” Antetokounmpo went on. “And I understand that people are going to try to make my job difficult, and I’m okay with that. I love that. I don’t want it to be easy. I want it to be a challenge and whenever I play those guys, it’s always a challenge. I respect that, and they’ve improved from day one — all three of them. And it’s always a battle when you play against Atlanta. So, I love playing against Atlanta.”
The Hawks faced the Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, and Trae Young even stole the first game of that series, but the eventual champions won the same in six games. Just like the Bucks, the Hawks are looking better this season, and the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt is ready to make a lot of noise in the East.
Atlanta can be a very uncomfortable rival for anybody, and Giannis is well aware of that. Of course, he enjoys the challenge of going against that team, but not every player in the league will embrace facing a team that looks ready to return to the ECF and make it to the Finals next year.
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