Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece fell to a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2022 EuroBasket, where Greece was viewed as one of the favorites to win the tournament. Both Greece and Nikola Jokic’s Serbia have been sent home from the competition, meaning the pair will get some crucial rest ahead of the start of training camp.
Giannis had a heavy load on his shoulders in this tournament, carrying Greece to a lot of good wins. They went undefeated in the group stage, and the loss to Germany is the first that they have suffered in the 2022 EuroBasket.
After their strong run in the tournament came to an early end, Greek national team head coach Dimitris Itoudis spoke to the media about Giannis. He heaped praise on the 2-time NBA MVP and said that he thinks Giannis needs to take a breath and come into the start of the NBA season as healthy as he can be.
Dimitris Itoudis on Giannis: "It's easy with him cause he's humble highly motivated person. His approach in life is exceptional. He needs to breathe now, see the things, go back healthy to the NBA, win titles over there & come back whenever it's allowed & possible to help his NT"
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) September 13, 2022
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Find His Way Back To The NBA Finals Next Season?
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been considered by many the best player in the world, with even NBA 2K23 giving him the highest rating in the game ahead of the likes of Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and others.
His Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2022 Playoffs after Khris Middleton went down to injury and Giannis had a less-than-ideal offensive performance in the game in-lieu of K-Midd. Either way, many still believe that a healthy Middleton would have helped the Bucks make it to the Conference Finals and possibly the NBA Finals.
Milwaukee hasn’t made major moves to their roster but it is an aging roster. They have a small window of contention left with the core of Giannis, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton. Next season will be crucial for the Bucks as they see if their team is still the most competitive team in a rapidly improving Eastern Conference.
