The Bucks look dire as of late, and these comments from Giannis Antetokounmpo may signal even louder alarm bells.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are heading into the playoffs in the worst shape imaginable. April has been a month straight out of their nightmares; they have lost all four of their games in the month, including losses to three of the worst teams in the NBA. This stretch forced them to hold a meeting prior to their Sunday night clash against the New York Knicks, but they couldn’t stop the bleeding in what ended up being a 122-109 loss.
When it rains, it pours, and this tend of slump tends to have a snowball effect, especially for a Bucks team that has had a rocky season defined by drastic changes. As a result of this brutal stretch, Antetokounmpo admitted that the team has lost all joy, trudging along while bearing a heavy burden as they find it difficult to come up with a panacea to whatever it is that’s ailing them.
“When was the last time Malik did [his trademark 3-point shimmy celebration]? When was the last time Pat hit a 3 and [celebrated]? When was the last time Jae hit a 3, went back and he swags back? When was the last time I dunked on somebody and went ‘Ahhhhhh!’” Antetokounmpo said, per Eric Nehm and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“It’s almost like we’re going through the motions. We gotta find our joy back.”
The final four regular season games aren’t going to get any easier for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. They’ll be facing the Orlando Magic twice, which will matter for playoff positioning, while scrapping against rival Boston Celtics and the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder. For a team that lost against the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, and a Toronto Raptors team that was in the middle of a 15-game losing streak, that stretch looks rather unwinnable.
Damian Lillard, a man of faith?
Faith is defined as being certain of what one is hoping for despite not necessarily seeing any reason to. For Damian Lillard, he is still holding on to the hope that the Bucks will figure it out when it matters the most.
“I mean, as crazy as it might sound, I feel good. Obviously, I hate how the last two weeks or so… it’s uncomfortable and it’s frustrating to lose games that we should win. … But when I look around the locker room, I just feel good about it,” Lillard said. “When I look around, I just have a true belief in what we have, our experience, how long we’ve been around.”
Still, faith is nothing without action. For Damian Lillard, he knows that the Bucks have the necessary fight in them to stop the bleeding in what has been a disastrous month thus far.
“This league is a tough league. Sometimes you have hard times. … But when you just keep fighting in these situations, you never know when it’s going to turn,” Lillard added. “That’s why you gotta stay together, you gotta keep believing. And these are the moments where you find out who’s a real one and who’s not.”
The Bucks’ “tough conversations”
Prior to the Bucks’ 122-109 loss to the Knicks on Sunday, head coach Doc Rivers reportedly held a film session with nine of the team’s most important players. It worked as some sort of an open forum, with each player having a chance to speak their mind regarding what they think must be done to stem the tide.
However, with the playoffs approaching, the time for talk is over. It’s time for the Bucks to take action, and their difficult four-game stretch to end the regular season will be a test of whether or not they’ll sink or swim.
