Can Giannis Antetokounmpo get in his groove?
The Bucks’ ups and downs through the first five games of their season have mirrored Giannis Antetokounmpo’s erratic play to this point.
Now Antetokounmpo is coming off a triple-double (26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) in the Bucks’ loss to the Miami Heat and started to show. Still, consistency has been lacking from the two-time Most Valuable Player and as the leader of this Bucks team, the rest of the squad has followed suit by his example in many ways.
Antetokounmpo showed more involvement in the Bucks’ offense Wednesday night with his pinpoint passes to Bucks shooters and certainly more of that will be useful in establishing a consistent rhythm on that side of the ball. And as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Antetokounmpo’s abilities on that end certainly speaks for itself.
Either way, it hasn’t materialized to the degree that Antetokounmpo or the Bucks fans have wanted to see, even with a shorter runway into the start of the year in mind. Still, Antetokounmpo’s all-or-nothing approach remains intact as he told to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard afetr the loss to Miami:
"“I’m not patient. I just go give 100 percent on playing defense,” Antetokounmpo said following the loss in Miami. “I try to play the right way on offense. I try to play hard. I don’t try to save energy. I save energy after the game.”"
With the Bucks’ clash against the Bulls acting as the start of a five-game homestand, perhaps that will do the trick in helping Antetokounmpo find his way towards more reliable, consistent production. And time will tell whether that will unlock the path for the Bucks to have consistent success.
The Bucks’ clash with the Chicago Bulls will tip off at 7 p.m. central time and you can catch the action on Fox Sports Wisconsin for those living in the area.