"The same thing I've been saying my whole career, I want to be on a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship." That is what Giannis Antetokounmpo said before the NBA season, and, as he declared, he's said this in multiple forms over the years. Yet, for the first time in nearly an entire decade, the Bucks are failing to grant that wish.
Bucks can't grant Giannis' wish as constructed
Since the 2018-19 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks have had a chance at winning a championship every single season. Constant roster renovating and flashy moves have led to Giannis inking contract extensions on two separate occasions. It's simple. If Giannis thinks the Bucks can win, he will show no desire to play elsewhere. That's exactly why the rumors are intense right now.
The Milwaukee Bucks are not a championship-level threat right now. They aren't even in the Play-In discussion right now. Gone are the days when the Bucks were running away with one of the East's top seeds and didn't have to worry about Giannis leaving. The honeymoon from the championship year is long over. Giannis is hungry for another, and this version of the Bucks just can't give that to him.
Can they get it back? Yes. It won't be easy, but the Milwaukee Bucks still have a shot at contending as long as Giannis is still on the roster. It will take some roster moves, though. While they showed at least some promise on paper, the roster has failed to click. They don't mesh. Injuries have played a part, but the season is halfway over. The sample size is large enough.
The coaching is also a problem. Last year's second consecutive first-round playoff exit felt like it was the final straw for Doc Rivers, but the team shockingly gave him another chance. That has backfired horribly, given that Milwaukee is playing its worst basketball since Giannis' early days in the NBA. A new voice could certainly inject a dose of life into this squad rather quickly.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won't like it, but the Milwaukee Bucks ultimately may have to wait until the summer to make any meaningful moves. They will have more asset flexibility and options to sort through then. It always feels like they are frightened by the prospect of firing a coach mid-season after seeing how terribly the Adrian Griffin experience went.
If he stays with the Bucks through the NBA Trade Deadline, this summer could be Milwaukee's last shot to prove to Giannis that this team can get back to its winning ways, given that the team can offer him a massive contract extension in October. If he declines it, the writing will clearly be on the wall.
Getting back on the right track this season isn't fully off the table, but the Milwaukee Bucks have to make some changes before it's too late. The ship is sinking. A little winning could silence all of this chatter about Giannis potentially seeking greener pastures, just like it has in recent years. This year could be one that Milwaukee Bucks fans look back on for decades, good or bad.
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