It’s no secret Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the NBA right now. The thing is, a recent statistic has proven his past few runs in the postseason hasn’t been kind to the Milwaukee Bucks star and his reputation as a winner.
Antetokounmpo first entered the league as Bucks’ 15th overall pick in the 2013 Draft, a class that boasted the likes of Rudy Gobert, CJ McCollum, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, among others. And while his rookie season wasn’t that impressive, his subsequent years in the league have shown otherwise.
During the 2016-17 season, Antetokounmpo won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award after averaging 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. Years later, the Bucks’ All-Star forward won a pair of MVPs in 2019 and 2020 after helping Milwaukee improve vastly from where the team was before he was drafted.
The Greek Freak would go on to climb the top of the mountain in 2021 when the Bucks won the championship against Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns. But since then, Milwaukee always had a hard time in going far in the playoffs, mostly because of injuries or the lack of offense surrounding Antetokounmpo in the lineup.
Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Heartbreaking Playoff Stat
Speaking of injuries, the Bucks are without Antetokounmpo during their series against the Indiana Pacers due to a calf injury. As it stands, a recent post from Alex Burns on X has shown how much he has played in Milwaukee’s last two playoff runs:
“Giannis has played 4% of the Bucks playoff minutes over the last 2 postseasons
Giannis: 91 total minutes played
Bucks: 1,993 total minutes played,” Burns tweeted.
Taking that information and putting it into context meant that Antetokounmpo has been a negative factor in the Bucks’ playoff run this year and the last. Add the fact that Milwaukee’s production on the court plummets when he’s inactive, and there’s reason to believe they won’t last long on the court against Indiana.
It’s a shame Antetokounmpo has fallen from grace in the playoffs since winning a ring in 2021. If ever he’ll find a way to stay healthy and be surrounded by a more capable cast, there’s always a chance for the Bucks to contend again. In any case, fans will have to see whether the Greek Freak can make it back on time before his team is eliminated by the Pacers.
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