Giannis Antetokounmpo’s file is dragging on and the Bucks are in a rut

We believed in Bucks rebooted, bolstered by a bracket imposed by the NBA Cup and convincing win against Boston Friday. But Milwaukee just took one step forward … and three steps back. Sunday, a loss to the Nets turned into humiliation : 127-82, a disaster against a team at the bottom of the standings in the East, which puts the Wisconsin franchise in doubt.

Absence Giannis Antetokounmpo obviously more difficult. Milwaukee has won just two of the ten games played without the Greek star this season. But that doesn’t explain how an aggressive and engaged team could become so apathetic 48 hours earlier. “It was awful, awful everywhere”Doc Rivers fired at the press conference. Like Kevin Porter Jr., he highlighted an unusual preparation, far from the expected standards.

“It was awful of me, because obviously I didn’t make them ready. It’s probably one of the most disappointing matches I’ve been in, the way we played and fought. We were looking for someone to blame…besides ourselves. We blamed the referees, we looked at each other. Nobody wanted to play hard. We have a big question.”

“45 points against a team that wants to lose…”

On Sunday, his players offered a poor game in defense, from which there are no positives. “It’s one thing to lose, it’s another to lose with such a backlog” reacted Bobby Portis in the locker room. « It is difficult to describe our performance tonight. » Kyle Kuzma had something.

“Is this our lowest point of the season? It’s not even a question: absolutely. 45 points against a team that wants to lose… They have four wins, five, whatever. I don’t want to disrespect them: that’s the NBA. There’s so much talent, and if you’re not ready, you can get beat by anybody. We’re proof of that tonight.”

Bad starts, faltering team

For Kyle Kuzma, part of the explanation lies in the starts, a recurring Achilles heel, especially on the road (3 wins, 9 losses). Even after seven minutes, the score was 19-18, but the defense was already giving worrying signals. Then the deficit grew to 37-25 at the end of the first quarter.

“Mike Tyson says when you get in the ring, everybody has a plan … until they get punched in the teeth. Very often we’re the ones who accept that. You’re stunned, you try to get back, to fight. And by the seventh, eighth or ninth round, it’s too late.” ex-Wizards explains again.

Doc Rivers hit the nail on the head: “It wasn’t until the beginning of the second quarter that we finally looked like a team that wanted to pass the ball. But in the meantime, the basketball gods decided that we weren’t going to take the open shot anymore. Because we didn’t deserve it.”

Inconsistency, real poison

Against Boston on Friday, activity and toughness were the foundation of everything. In Brooklyn, even without their coach Jordi Fernandez (ill), the Nets were treated to an opponent lacking these ingredients: no energy, no grit, no reaction.

“Our performance as a team, as a group was very disappointing”repeated Kyle Kuzma, bitterly. “What’s killing us this year is the inconsistency in our effort. And that’s unacceptable. We just didn’t play hard. We let them do what they wanted offensively. We lost a lot of balls. Here we are. We have to mature: in the game with and without the ball, in the energy we put in night after night.”

The comparison to the best teams in the East – a status Milwaukee claims – stings all the more as the Bucks are now five games under 50%. “When you look at the NBA Cup, OKC-San Antonio, it feels personal, like a playoff game,” Kyle Kuzma noted. “Obviously it’s only the NBA Cup, but it’s December, like them, right? We have to come together. We’re extremely talented, but talent that doesn’t come together is just talent. That’s not a team.”

And Giannis’ question in the background…

Milwaukee conceded its worst loss of the season, posted its lowest point total and even its most barren quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo could have, at least partially, limited the damage. Still taken, he does not go much further in his personal case, according to Mark Steinand uncertainty still hovers over the future.

According to the insider, Milwaukee has not yet indicated that the “Greek freak” is clearly on the market. The tendency would even be to want to stay and try to continue adjusting around it, despite working without real success since the title in 2021. The indecision that could encourage certain franchises (Spurs, Rockets, Thunder, etc.) not to invest too much in the file, Marc Stein always claims.

It remains to be hoped that the introspection demanded by Doc Rivers and his leaders will finally translate into action on the field. Thursday’s first test, hosting the Raptors, before a six-game, seven-game stretch against teams with a negative record: an ideal window to get back on our feet … or sink a little deeper. And make the club decide?