It’s been a long time since Giannis Antetokounmpo has felt this kind of losing stretch that he and the Milwaukee Bucks are currently mired in.
The Bucks have now last their last four tilts after losing to the Toronto Raptors in a 124-113 defeat Tuesday night. As the Bucks have sank into such a dry spell without their star guard Jrue Holiday, Antetokounmpo has arguably hit his stride after an erratic start to the season.
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This comes after Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points on 11-of-20 shooting (2-for-4 from deep) 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals in over 37 minutes of run in that loss to the Raptors.
For all of the panic that has permeated throughout all Bucks fan circles, the 26-year-old superstar had an interesting message to Bucks fans following the team’s fourth straight defeat, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard:
"“I kind of have a feeling that everybody is in a panic mode, which should not be the case,” said Antetokounmpo, who had 34 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals in defeat. “We should keep improving, we should keep playing good basketball, we should watch the film, and at the end of the day, we’ve got to go out there and compete. When you come here, nothing can be easy.”"
Giannis Antetokounmpo has embraced the Milwaukee Bucks’ ups and downs this season.
As the Bucks have embraced a more ‘process over results’ approach this season, their leading superstar has followed suit. Even as the Bucks currently hold the longest losing streak of the Mike Budenholzer era, at least during the regular season, and are far from the dominant juggernaut we’ve been used to seeing over the last two regular seasons.
And while Antetokounmpo pointed to Holiday’s absence as a reason why the Bucks have slipped in this stretch, the two-time MVP continues to take the long view, right along with the Bucks’ overall approach:
"“At the end of the day, we lost four in a row; we’re not going home,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re still here. It’s not the playoffs. Obviously, it’s frustrating. We want to win, especially a game like this. A big game, guys playing hard.“You want to come out and win the game, but it doesn’t always go your way. But always, you’ve got to look at the bright side of it. You still have another opportunity on Thursday. So, keep getting better, watch the film, improve, keep everybody in a good place, and it’s not the end of the world right now.”"
After signing his five-year supermax extension in December, Antetokounmpo has committed to the Bucks for the long haul, much to the relief of everyone in the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. Imagining what these ups and downs would look like without that security would have been incredibly agonizing for Bucks fans, even more than what it feels like right now.
As Antetokounmpo’s focus and attitude towards winning has seemingly changed, at least during the regular season, he’s clearly trying to see the forest through trees at a time where the Bucks have looked lost in the wilderness. It’s a long season as Antetokounmpo said as much and he and the Bucks aren’t facing the pressure that would have followed them had things played out differently.
While Antetokounmpo recognizes there is beauty in the struggle, the Bucks will soon have to snap out of this rough stretch to improve in the here and now. Time will tell when they do.