The Milwaukee Bucks dropped to 1-2 in this 2024-25 season following a stunning 115-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. This loss came on the back of a 133-122 loss at the hands of the Chicago Bulls and Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted postgame that the Bucks don’t have an identity at the moment.
“Got to find ways how to win a game,” Antetokounmpo said. “Right now, we don’t have an identity. How are we going to win the game? Are we going to defend 48 minutes? Are we going to move the ball for 48 minutes? Are we going to attack? Want to play fast for 48 minutes or 36 minutes slow down and then last 12?
“Got to find an identity,” Antetokounmpo continued. “We don’t have that right now. In the Philly game, we’re good. In these last two games, as you said, we have to find that. We have to find ourselves.”
That’s not what you want to hear from your star player this early in the season. It’s not a good look, especially on head coach Doc Rivers, who was already under a bit of pressure because of how poorly the team played after he took over midway through last season. It’s way too early to sound the alarm bells in Milwaukee, but the early signs sure aren’t good.
The Bucks have a defensive rating of 115.9 this season, which ranks 23rd in the NBA. Defense was one of the big problems for them in 2023-24 and continues to be one now. This is an old team and they struggle to keep up with younger ones. Coby White had 35 points in that win for the Bulls while Cam Thomas had 32 for the Nets.
On the other end, the Bucks at least looked good on offense in the first two games but struggled against the Nets. They shot 44.2% from the field and 30.3% from beyond the arc in that contest and they’re not going to win too many games in which they shoot like that.
What was also puzzling about this game against the Nets, was Antetokounmpo not being aggressive. The 29-year-old took just 11 shots to finish with 22 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. The Bucks need him to be in attack mode, especially when the rest of the team is struggling offensively and it will be interesting to see how he plays moving forward.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Thinks The Bucks Might Trade Him If They Don’t Win The Title
Antetokounmpo signed a three-year extension with the Bucks in 2023 but thinks the team could get rid of him after this season. Giannis believes the Bucks could trade him if they don’t win the title.
“If we don’t win this year, would you get fired? Do you have it in the back of your mind, like, ‘(What) if this year doesn’t go well?’ Yeah, if we don’t win a championship, I might get traded. Yeah, this is the job we live. This is the world we’re living in. It’s everybody.”
“On a serious note, this is the job. It’s the profession that we’re in. At any given moment, if you don’t succeed, that might be it for us. It was the same way with the previous coaching staff, and the year before, the players before. … If you don’t do a good enough job, you’re out.”
I don’t agree one bit. As long as Antetokounmpo is dominating on the court, the Bucks would have no intention of parting ways with him. Players as good as him don’t grow on trees and the only way the eight-time All-Star isn’t a Buck this time next year is if he himself asks out.
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