After being knocked out in the first round by the Indiana Pacers last season, the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo enter the new campaign under mounting pressure. As the NBA season nears tip-off, players across the league are starting to make bold declarations that could either prove insightful or come back to haunt them. Antetokounmpo appears more than willing to take that chance.
“We’re going to be a problem. We’re going to be dangerous. We’re going to be set up in a way that is very, very dangerous,” said the Bucks superstar.
“We have a lot of shooting. We have a lot of playmakers, ball-handlers, and defenders who can switch. We have an incredible big who can space the floor and be a problem defensively. We are set up exactly how you need to set up to make a statement.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t held back, urging his teammates to step up while quietly keeping the door ajar for a possible move down the line. Yet, true to his image as a disciplined leader, Antetokounmpo recently made what he described as a “very dangerous” remark about the Bucks—one that ESPN insider Ramona Shelburne echoed in agreement.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s take gains support from Ramona Shelburne
“I agree with Giannis that they’re going to be a lot better than people think. I like the Myles Turner acquisition. I like everything they did in the offseason except the fact they’re probably not good enough to get out of the second round,” Shelburne commented.
Antetokounmpo has every reason to be encouraged by Milwaukee’s offseason activity, especially with the arrival of Myles Turner. The versatile big man fits the mold of the stretch-center prototype that once made Brook Lopez so valuable, offering the same blend of floor spacing and defensive presence that suits the Bucks’ system perfectly.
“With that said, I like that he’s saying this because he’s speaking it into existence. He’s trying to set the tone for this team.”
The Bucks captured their last championship by leaning heavily on Giannis and their perimeter shooting, and it appears they’re returning to that formula once more. Whether it pays off remains to be seen, but this season could be their final opportunity to prove to Giannis Antetokounmpo that Milwaukee is still the place where he can chase another title.
