Milwaukee Bucks: 3 reasons why they can run it back next season
Giannis Antetokounmpo is only entering his prime with the Milwaukee Bucks
He may be a two-time MVP and Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, etc., but it’s far from hyperbolic that the best of Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to come.
Saying that after Antetokounmpo dropped 35.1 points per game on .618/.200/.659 shooting, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists in this year’s NBA Finals is certainly ridiculous. Just as the Bucks as a whole, Antetokounmpo reinvented himself and added new ways and avenues to make his game all the more dangerous as he led Milwaukee to their first title in 50 years.
That’s where we can see Antetokounmpo evolve even further beyond what we’ve seen to this point and playing alongside the likes of Middleton and Holiday even further, something that has increasingly embraced this season.
The ways that Antetokounmpo was utilized as a screener and roll man, switching defensively and playing more center in smaller lineups and even just hitting in-between shots were more frequent than what we saw the last two playoff runs before this season. Even in the face of raucous fans counting the seconds to his long free throw routine and his struggles at the line, Antetokounmpo went 17-for-19 in that decisive Game 6 versus Phoenix that helped propel his 50-point performance and the Bucks’ title.
Even with finally getting over the hump and winning his first NBA title, it’s far from a surprise to see Antetokounmpo want more as he talked about with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps following that Game 6 victory:
"“This is an addictive feeling,” Antetokounmpo said. “I love playing in the playoffs. I love playing in the Finals. “This is the moments I want to chase. I want the team to build off this, and hopefully we can do it again.”"
Ranking impending Bucks free agents by priority to re-sign. dark. Next
Time will tell whether the moves, both additions and subtractions, and added chemistry will actually lead to the Bucks defending their title next season. But they certainly have the bigger questions figured out at this juncture.